DEVELOPMENT OF A HIERARCHY FOR SOLVENT RECOVERY OF SELECTED ORGANICS FROM ACTIVATED CARBON (AC) AND FEASIBILITY OF A NEW REGENERATION OF SPENT AC

THIS POTENTIAL NEW PROCESS FOR REGENERATION OF SPENT ACTIVATED CARBON (AC) IS BASED ON USING SUPERDESORBERS (SD) TO REMOVE AC ADSORBATES FOLLOWED BY SELECTIVE REMOVAL OF THESD. THIS PROCESS HAS POTENTIAL TO RECOVER AND REUSE AS ADSORBATES AND AC AND RECYCLE THE SD. NEEDED FEASIBILITY STUDIES ARE: LOAD AC WITH KNOWN ADSORBATES, USE SD TO DISPLACE AND RECOVER ADSORBATES FROM AS, QUANTITATE AND COMPARE SD DESORPTION EFFICIENCY FROM VARIETY OF AC ADSORBATES, REMOVE SELECTIVELY SD FROM AC, AND EVALUATE EXTENT OF AC REGENERATION USING INDUSTRY STANDARD ASTM IODINE NUMBER PROTOCOL. THIS PROCESS SHOULD HELP REMOVE PRESENT LIMITATIONS TO AC REGENERATION BECAUSE IT COULD OCCUR IN-SITU AND REDUCE HANDLING OF SPENT AC AND HELP SMALLWASTE GENERATORS, AS WELL AS LARGE. THERE IS A NEED TO RECYCLE, REUSE AND CONTROL WASTES AT THE SITE OF PRODUCTION OR USE LOCAL FACILITIES. PRESENTLY, THESE WASTES ARE INCINERATED OR STORED IN LANDFILLS AWAY FROM THE SITE OF PRODUCTION. THE ACTIVATED CARBON INDUSTRY IS BASED ON PASSING WASTE WATER, CONTAMINATED AIR OR WATER, AND PROCESS STREAMS THROUGH BEDS OF AC TO MEET REGULATORY ORSELF-IMPOSED EFFLUENT SPECIFICATIONS. THIS PROCESS RESULTS IN CONCENTRATION OF POLLUTANTS ONTO THE AC. THE SPENT AC ISTHEN TRANSPORTED TO THERMAL REACTIVATION FACILITIES OR LANDFILLED. THIS SBIR PROPOSAL IS AIMED AT DEVELOPING AN IN-SITU CHEMICAL/PHYSICAL REGENERATION PROCESS FOR SPENT AC.THIS MAY RESULT IN RECOVERY/REUSE OF ADSORBATES. RECOVERED TOXICANTS MAY BE MANAGEABLE WITH CHEMICAL MEANS AT THE SITE OF PRODUCTION, DUE TO THEIR RELATIVELY PURE FORM. INCINERATION AND LANDFILLING MAY BE REDUCED. PHASE I CONSISTS OF DEVELOPMENT OF A SOLVENT HIERARCHY TO RECOVER K WN AC ADSORBATES USING FOUR DIFFERENT SOLVENTS.