Grantee Research Project Results
Recovery of Liquid Hazardous Wastes from Carbon Adsorption Steam Regeneration Streams
EPA Contract Number: 68D10072Title: Recovery of Liquid Hazardous Wastes from Carbon Adsorption Steam Regeneration Streams
Investigators: Wijmans, J. (Hans) G.
Small Business: Membrane Technology and Research Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: II
Project Period: September 1, 1991 through May 1, 1993
Project Amount: $150,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase II (1991) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation , SBIR - Waste , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
Common and particularly troublesome industrial waste streams are those consisting of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulaly chlorinated solvents and water-mis- cible, less volatile (hydrophilic) solvents. The presence of the chlorinated solvents makes solvent reclamation very difficult, and the entire stream must often be treated as a hazardous waste and sent to incinerators fitted with appropriate scrubbers for disposal. These streams are commonly produced in regeneration of carbon adsorption beds used to remover VOCs from air, in solvent recycling operations, in surface treatment and coating operations, and in ground- water remediation.Phase II will involve the application of the membrane process of pervaporation to the removal and concentration of chlorinated solvents and other VOCs from mixed waste streams. The process produces a small chlorinated solvent stream and an aqueous residue strean containing the rela- tively nonvolatile hydrophobic components which is sent to a conventional treatment system or discharged. In the Phase I program, the process was demonstrated with laboratory- sized membrane modules using water/acetone/methylene chloride mixtures and samples of more complex hazardous waste streams. In the Phase II program, a compact, portable system using industrial-sized modules will be built and operated with solvent mixtures of increasing complexity at Membrane Technology and Research, Inc.'s, (MTR) facili- ties. Based on the contacts generated during the Phase I program, MTR is confident that a compact, transportable pervaporation unit will receive great interest from potential industrial users, resulting in numerous field tests.
Supplemental Keywords:
RFA, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Water, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Chemistry, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Hazardous Waste, Chemistry and Materials Science, Hazardous, Environmental Engineering, Engineering, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, regeneration stream, hydrophillic solvents, solvent reclamation, carbon adsorption, portable, pervaporation system, carbon adsorption stream, chlorinated waste liquid, water miscible solvents, chlorinated solventsProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.