Process for decontamination of ballast pitch material

Abstract

A two step process for destruction of polyhalogenated aromatic compounds contained in pitch from ballasts of fluorescent lamps comprises: (a) contacting the pitch with a sufficient amount of an organic solvent such that the pitch and the solvent together form a liquid phase in which the polyhalogenated aromatic compounds are dissolved; and (b) chemically destroying the polyhalogenated aromatic compounds in the liquid phase. In preferred embodiments of the process, the solvent comprises mineral oil and the polyhalogenated aromatic compounds comprise polychlorinated biphenyls. Chemical destruction of the polyhalogenated aromatic compounds preferably comprises treatment with an alkali metal dispersion, preferably sodium metal in mineral oil.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.