OXIDATION OF AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
First Claim
1. A method for remediating material contaminated with aromatic hydrocarbons, comprising:
- combining material contaminated with aromatic hydrocarbons, one or more catalysts wherein the catalyst is a metal, a metal oxide, a metal alloy, a composite thereof, or a combination thereof and is present in at least 2 parts by weight of catalyst per 1000 parts by weight of contaminated material, and a first oxidant other than ozone, to form a mixture;
mixing the mixture; and
adding ozone gas to the mixture to oxidize and degrade the aromatic hydrocarbons.
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Abstract
The present invention describes a method for efficient, economical and rapid remediation of aromatic hydrocarbons, and especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in contaminated materials, such as soils, sludges, tars, sands and liquids using catalysts in conjunction with ozone, oxidants and surfactants. The method uses multistage catalytic oxidation to convert aromatic hydrocarbons into innocuous, biodegradable, or easily decomposed compounds such as carbon dioxide and carbonyl compounds, including but not limited to aldehydes, ketones, quinones, and carboxylic acids. The method may be employed to treat dry and wet contaminated samples of large tonnage and offers an excellent alternative to incineration.
30 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A method for remediating material contaminated with aromatic hydrocarbons, comprising:
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combining material contaminated with aromatic hydrocarbons, one or more catalysts wherein the catalyst is a metal, a metal oxide, a metal alloy, a composite thereof, or a combination thereof and is present in at least 2 parts by weight of catalyst per 1000 parts by weight of contaminated material, and a first oxidant other than ozone, to form a mixture;
mixing the mixture; and
adding ozone gas to the mixture to oxidize and degrade the aromatic hydrocarbons. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 50, 51, 52)
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28. A method for remediating material contaminated with aromatic hydrocarbons, comprising:
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combining contaminated material of less than 1.27 cm in particle size with water in an amount of approximately 0 to 500 parts by weight per 1000 parts by weight of contaminated material, catalysts, wherein one catalyst is metallic iron which is provided in an amount of approximately 2 to 100 parts by weight per 1000 parts by weight of contaminated material, and a second catalyst, wherein the second catalyst is titania or nano-titania which is provided in an amount of approximately 2 to 100 parts by weight per 1000 parts by weight of contaminated material, surfactant, wherein the surfactant is bi-terpene which is provided in an amount of approximately 10 to 100 parts by weight per 1000 parts by weight of contaminated material, and a first oxidant other than ozone wherein the first oxidant is hydrogen peroxide which is provided as a 50% solution in an amount of approximately 10 to 50 parts by weight per 1000 parts by weight of contaminated material, to form a mixture;
mixing the mixture; and
adding ozone gas to the mixture in an amount of approximately 0.001 to 3.0 parts by weight per 1 part by weight of aromatic hydrocarbons in the material.
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42. A method for remediating material contaminated with aromatic hydrocarbons, comprising:
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combining contaminated material of less than approximately 500 microns in particle size with an amount of water sufficient to make a mixture;
mixing the mixture; and
adding ozone gas to the mixture in an amount of approximately 1 to 5 parts by weight per I part by weight of aromatic hydrocarbons in the material. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 46, 47, 49, 53, 54)
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45. A method for remediating material contaminated with aromatic hydrocarbons, comprising, combining material contaminated with aromatic hydrocarbons, one or more catalysts wherein the catalyst is a metal, a metal oxide, a metal alloy, a composite thereof or combination thereof, and a first oxidant other than ozone, to form a mixture, wherein the mixture includes at least about 10 parts by weight of the first oxidant per 1000 parts by weight of contaminated material;
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mixing the mixture; and
adding ozone gas to the mixture to oxidize and degrade the aromatic hydrocarbons, wherein the catalyst is located on coatings, stationary fixtures, rotating fixtures, impellor blades, baffles, metal baffles, ceramic baffles, vanes, paddles, wires, fine filaments, threads, meshes, grids, honeycombs, balls, gratings, manifolds, beds, deflectors, reaction vessel walls or combinations thereof.
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Specification