US 5,414,204 A · Method of treating refractory activated carbon by exposure to ionizing radiation

Abstract

The improved method of treating activated carbon having an organochlorine compound adsorbed thereon which comprises adding water to said activated carbon and then exposing said activated carbon to ionizing radiation, thereby decomposing and rendering harmless the organochlorine compound adsorbed on the activated carbon is described. The method is capable of safe and efficient decomposition of the activated carbon that has been used in adsorption treatment of organochlorine compounds such as PCBs and trichloroethylene that have heretofore been difficult to treat. The activated carbon that has hitherto simply been accumulated to date after adsorbing organochlorine compounds can be effectively treated by the method at low cost.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of decomposing an organochlorine compound adsorbed on an activated carbon, said organochlorine compound being selected from the group consisting of dioxin, PCBs, chlorophenol and organochlorine agrochemicals, said method comprising the steps of:

adding water to the activated carbon having the organochlorine compound adsorbed thereon in such a manner that the amount of water to be added is at least substantially the same as the apparent volume of the activated carbon but does not exceed the apparent volume of the activated carbon by more than about 100 times;
and
exposing the activated carbon to ionizing radiation, thereby decomposing and rendering harmless the organochlorine compound adsorbed on the activated carbon.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

08/158,816Filed 29 Nov 1993 · continuation

Priority

JP 3-21195723 Aug 1991

Granted

9 May 1995

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

A62D 3/15
By subjecting to electric or wave energy or particle or ionizing radiation: to particle radiation, e.g. electron beam radiation
A62D 3/17
By subjecting to electric or wave energy or particle or ionizing radiation: to electromagnetic radiation, e.g. emitted by a laser
A62D 3/172
To electromagnetic radiation, e.g. emitted by a laser: gamma rays, i.e. radiation having a wavelength of about 0.003nm to 0.03 nm
A62D 3/174
To electromagnetic radiation, e.g. emitted by a laser: x-rays, i.e. radiation having a wavelength of about 0.03nm to 3nm

Method of treating refractory activated carbon by exposure to ionizing radiation

Life of this patent

Method of treating refractory activated carbon by exposure to ionizing radiation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14