Surfactant recovery process
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsJames D. B. Smith, Karl F. Schoch, Jr., David C. Grant
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Surfactants in an aqueous solution is recovered from polychlorinated biphenyls and other aromatic organic compounds contaminating the solution. An electrical current is passed through a surfactant-containing aqueous solution contaminated with a colloidal dispersion of organic compounds at a voltage sufficient to electrochemically breakup the dispersion without polymerizing the surfactant. The contaminating aromatic organic compounds are then separated from the surfactant-containing aqueous solution. The separated surfactant-containing aqueous solution may be recirculated to a waste treatment process for cleaning additional organic compounds from contaminated equipment.
Claims11
A process of recovering surfactants in an aqueous solution from organic compounds contaminating the solution, comprising the steps of:
- passing an electrical current through an aqueous solution containing a surfactant which doe snot polymerize at about 2 volts and contaminated with a colloidal dispersion of organic compounds at a voltage between about 2 and 4 volts to breakup the dispersion of contaminating organic compounds in the aqueous solution without polymerizing the surfactant;
- and
- separating the contaminating organic compounds from the surfactant-containing aqueous solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.