You are here:
DEVELOPMENT OF MICROWAVE PLASMA DETOXIFICATION PROCESS FOR HAZARDOUS WASTES. PHASE I
Citation:
Bailin, L. AND B. Hertzler. DEVELOPMENT OF MICROWAVE PLASMA DETOXIFICATION PROCESS FOR HAZARDOUS WASTES. PHASE I. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/2-77/030.
Description:
The microwave process described in this report is a relatively new application of what has been termed the 'fourth state of matter', or the 'plasma state'. It is the first practical application of a microwave discharge to the decomposition of chemical compounds in significant quantities. This report describes a recent, successful, R&D effort in which a former 'grams-per-hour' system was scaled up to a 5 to 7 pounds-per-hour system, and then its performance was verified with several typical hazardous materials. The materials tested and detoxified were Malathion, methyl-bromide, polychlorinated biphenyls, phenylmercuric acetate, and Kepone. Complete detoxification resulted. Further benefits of the process are the competitive, reasonable costs of about $0.20 per pound of material processed, including all costs. The process warrants further development, namely additional scale-up to pilot and field units. Presently, units up to 100 pounds per hour or so appear feasible to construct and be operable within two or three years.