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Treatability of DNT process wastewater by supercritical water oxidation
Author(s) -
Li Lixiong,
Gloyna Earnest F.,
Sawicki John E.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
water environment research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1554-7531
pISSN - 1061-4303
DOI - 10.2175/wer.65.3.9
Subject(s) - supercritical water oxidation , chemistry , wastewater , hydrogen peroxide , supercritical fluid , phenol , pollutant , waste management , environmental chemistry , pulp and paper industry , environmental science , environmental engineering , organic chemistry , engineering
This study focused on the treatment of dinitrotoluene (DNT) process wastewaters by supercritical water oxidation (SCWO). Major organic components found in the DNT process wastewaters were 2‐nitrophenol, 4‐nitrophenol, 2,4‐dinitrophenol, 4,6‐dinitro‐ortho‐cresol, phenol, and dinitrotoluene. Tests were conducted using a 20‐cm 3 batch reactor and two 120‐cm 3 /min continuous‐flow reactor systems. Separate oxidant tests employed oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Organic destruction efficiencies of target compounds were obtained at supercritical and subcritical water conditions. Temperatures and pressures, respectively, ranged from 250°C to 500°C and 140 bar to 310 bar. The reaction times varied from 1 minute to 7 minutes. Wastewaters premixed with a biological sludge were also tested.
SCWO was capable of destroying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) priority pollutants found in the DNT process wastewater. Under SCWO conditions, destruction efficiencies greater than 99% were achieved.