Microwave-enhanced chemical processes
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorRavi Varma
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for disposal of toxic wastes including chlorinated hydrocarbons, comprising, establishing a bed of non-metallic particulates having a high dielectric loss factor. Effecting intimate contact of the particulates and the toxic wastes at a temperature in excess of about 400.degree. C. in the presence of microwave radiation for a time sufficient to break the hydrocarbon chlorine bonds and provide detoxification values in excess of 80 and further detoxifying the bed followed by additional disposal of toxic wastes.
Claims18
A process for disposal of halogenated hydrocarbons comprising, effecting intimate contact between a non-metallic particulate material and the halogenated hydrocarbons to adsorb said halogenated hydrocarbons on to said non-metallic particulate material, subjecting said non-metallic particulate material to microwave radiation of not less than about 915 MHz so as to generate a high intensity oscillating electrical field at the surface of said particulate material in the presence of an oxygen-containing gas to produce by chemical reaction chloride ions and oxidation products from the halogenated hydrocarbons, desorbing said halogenated hydrocarbons from said non-metallic particulate material by passing dry nitrogen gas into contact with said non-metallic particulate material while subjecting said material to microwave irradiation at a first power level, increasing the microwave irradiation to a second power lever of about twice that of said first power level, subsequently passing moist nitrogen gas into contact with said material while subjecting said material to microwave irradiation at said first power level, and then increasing said microwave irradiatin to said second power level.
A process for disposal of toxic waste material comprising, effecting intimate contact between particulates having a high dielectric loss factor and the toxic waste material to adsorb said toxic waste material onto said particulates, subjecting the particulates in contact with the toxic waste material to microwave radiation to generate a high intensity oscillating electrical field at the surface of the particulates to elevate the temperature thereof, maintaining contact of the toxic material and the particulates in the presence of the microwave radiation for a time and at a temperature sufficient to detoxify more than 80% of the toxic material, desorbing said toxic waste material from said particulates by passing dry nitrogen gas into contact with said particulates while subjecting said particulates to microwave irradiation at a first power level, increasing the microwave irradiation to a second power level of about twice that of said first power level, subsequently passing wet nitrogen gas into contact while subjecting said particulates to microwave irradiation at said first power level, and then increasing said microwave irradiation to said second power level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.