Process for dehalogenation of contaminated waste materials
AssigneeChemical Waste Management, Inc.
InventorsYuval Halpern, Arthur J. Friedman
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Abstract
An improved method for detoxifying waste materials contaminated with halogenated hydrocarbons is disclosed. The method achieves dehalogenation of such halogenated hydrocarbons in a manner as efficient as previous methods, but at a considerably lower cost. The economic advantages of the present invention arise from the use of lower temperatures and/or smaller quantities of reagents, which in turn are made possible by the discovery of a surprisingly superior reagent, 2-methoxyethanol.
Claims2
A method for dehalogenating a halogenated organic compound, said method comprising the following steps:
- (a) providing a reaction mixture comprising a waste material comprising the halogenated organic compound, a hydroxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and aluminum, and 2-methoxyethanol, and
- (b) incubating the reaction mixture at a temperature and for a period of time sufficient to substantially dehalogenate the halogenated organic compound, the period of time being less than about 24 hours.
A method for dehalogenating a halogenated organic compound, said method comprising the following steps:
- (a) mixing together 2-methoxyethanol and a hydroxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium and aluminum;
- (b) incubating the metal hydroxide and 2-methoxyethanol together for a time and at a temperature sufficient to form a reagent comprising a metal alcoholate derived from 2-methoxyethanol;
- (c) mixing the metal alcoholate reagent together with a waste material comprising the halogenated organic compound to form a reaction mixture;
- (d) incubating the reaction mixture at a temperature and for a period of time sufficient to substantially dehalogenate the halogenated organic compound, the period of time being less than about 24 hours.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.