Disposal of Neutralent Wastes Review and Evaluation of the Army Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel Disposal Program (2001) / Chapter Skim
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Descriptions and Evaluations of Technologies
Descriptions and Evaluations of Technologies
Pages 23-46
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From page 23... ...
CHEMICAL OXIDATION On balance, chemical oxidation is a promising technology for mineralizing (i.e., converting organic compounds to inorganic salts, water, and carbon dioxide) RRS and MMD neutralents and for converting other components to less toxic materials.
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From page 24... ...
Containable temperature and pressures Pollution Prevention Minimum toxicity of effluents Minimal use of processing materials Solids, liquids, and gaseous wastes Minimal number of processing steps Temperatures, pressures, corrosion, plugging, and other operating difficulties minimized to prevent unprogrammed shutdowns Permit Status Allowed by regulations and capable of meeting schedules imposed by records of decision and treaties Good. Oxidizing agents must be transported and stored.
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From page 25... ...
Peroxidisulfate oxidation of MMD neutralents was proposed by Teledyne-Commodore in response to the Commerce Business Daily announcement promulgated by Stone and Webster. This process is likely to require a large excess of peroxydisulfate, leading to the formation of large quantities of sulfate in the waste stream (Yang, 1995~.
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From page 26... ...
The Ag(II) process has been advanced as a candidate for treating assembled chemical weapons but is probably not suitable for treatment of RRS neutralents because of their high chlorine content.
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From page 27... ...
Inherent Safety Minimal storage and transportation of hazardous material Minimal toxicity and flammability (process materials) Containable temperature and pressures Pollution Prevention Minimum toxicity of effluents Minimal use of processing materials Solids, liquids, and gaseous wastes Minimal number of processing steps Temperatures, pressures, corrosion, plugging, and other operating difficulties minimized to prevent unprogrammed shutdowns Permit Status Allowed by regulations and capable of meeting schedules imposed by records of decision and treaties Fair.
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From page 28... ...
process, the CerOx process could potentially be used to treat both RRS and MMD neutralents, although the high concentration of chlorine in RRS neutralent would result in the formation of large amounts of toxic chlorine gas that would have to be scrubbed.
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From page 29... ...
Destruction efficiency Inherent Safety Minimal storage and transportation of hazardous material Minimal toxicity and flammability (process materials) Containable temperature and pressures Pollution Prevention Minimum toxicity of effluents Minimal use of processing materials Solids, liquids, and gaseous wastes Minimal number of processing steps Temperatures, pressures, corrosion, plugging, and other operating difficulties minimized to prevent unprogrammed shutdowns Permit Status Allowed by regulations and capable of meeting schedules imposed by records of decision and treaties Good.
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From page 30... ...
BIODEGRADATION Biodegradation is not a feasible treatment method for RRS neutralents because chloroform, which is present in high concentrations, is highly resistant to oxidation by this method. As a treatment method for MMD neutralents, biodegradation is also doubtful for a number of reasons, as discussed below.
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From page 31... ...
Thus, biotreatment is not a promising treatment for RRS waste streams. MMD waste streams may be more amenable to biotreatment although they would have to be diluted at least 100-fold with water, and the carbon-nitrogen-phosphorus TABLE 4-4a Biodegradation: Top Priority Criteria 31 ratios would have to be adjusted.
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From page 32... ...
The electrons released in the process are solvated by ammonia and are highly mobile in the solution. Teledyne-Commodore has proposed using SET for the treatment of assembled chemical weapons and also as a treatment technology for RRS neutralents in response to Stone & Webster's Commerce Business Daily announcement.
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From page 33... ...
However, the agent breakdown products are likely to be transformed into residual organic compounds that will require additional treatment (Mitretek, 1999~. In addition, SET process efficiency is poor when treating process aqueous waste streams, such as MMD neutralents.
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From page 34... ...
WET-AIR/O2 OXIDATION WAO is a promising treatment for both RRS and MMD neutralents. WAO operates under slightly more aggressive temperature and pressure conditions than chemical oxidation processes.
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From page 35... ...
WAO is currently used in more than 300 commercial installations, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has specified WAO as a best-demonstrated available technology for the treatment of hazardous wastewater containing 6For RRS and MMD neutralents, a dilution of 4 to 14 times may be necessary for maximum effectiveness.
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From page 36... ...
The Illinois Waste Management and Research Center at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana also has several reactors designed to carry out WAO studies. WAO has achieved excellent destruction efficiencies to biodegradable compounds with inorganic and organic cyanides, chlorinated aliphatics, halogenated aromatics containing nonhalogen functional groups, and amines.
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From page 37... ...
However, issues related to the mechanisms and locations of salt buildup, the chemical composition of the salts produced, and the effectiveness of flushing away salts are still unresolved. Pressure containment is another issue that must be addressed.8 A removable titanium or platinum liner for processing nonstockpile neutralents has been suggested by the SCWO technology proponent because it could withstand reactions with acidic chloride compounds found in RRS neutralents.
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From page 38... ...
Containable temperature and pressures Pollution Prevention Minimal toxicity of effluents Minimal use of processing materials Solids, liquids, and gaseous wastes Minimal number of processing steps Temperatures, pressures, corrosion, plugging, and other operating difficulties minimized to prevent unprogrammed shutdowns Permit Status Allowed by regulations and capable of meeting schedules imposed by records of decision and treaties Fair. Neutralents are under engineering controls.
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From page 39... ...
GAS-PHASE CHEMICAL REDUCTION Although GPCR appears to be capable of destroying nonstockpile neutralents from both the RRS and MMD, the process generates large volumes of effluent gases that require a complex treatment system. Description The GPCR process uses hydrogen and steam at temperatures of approximately 850°C at atmospheric pressure to convert organic wastes into substances that are either less toxic or convertible to less toxic materials.
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From page 40... ...
Containable temperature and pressures Pollution Prevention Minimal toxicity of effluents Minimal use of processing materials Solids, liquids, and gaseous wastes Minimal number of processing steps Temperatures, pressures, corrosion, plugging, and other operating difficulties minimized to prevent unprogrammed shutdowns Permit Status Allowed by regulations and capable of meeting schedules imposed by records of decision and treaties Good. High efficiencies have been achieved with similar compounds.
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From page 41... ...
Three types of waste streams are produced: plasma offgas that is first treated to completely destroy VOCs and then cleaned by a two-stage scrubber, followed by a sophisticated filtration system prior to release; wastewater from the water treatment system used in the purification of the off-gases; and vitrified inorganic products that fall to the bottom of the containment vessel. Evaluation Plasma-arc systems can achieve high destruction efficiencies, reportedly higher than 99.99999 percent (seven 9' s)
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From page 42... ...
The Committee on Review and Evaluation of Alternative Technologies for Demilitarization of Assembled Chemical Weapons concluded, in concurrence with the Army and the Dialogue (a citizen group) , that the plasma torch apparatus demonstrated for the ACWA Program did not qualify for further consideration for the demilitarization of assembled chemical weapons.
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From page 43... ...
OVERALL RANKINGS The committee's qualitative demarcation of the axes in Figure 4-1 into low, moderate, high, and very high temperature and pressure ranges corresponds roughly with the extent of engineering controls required for safe operation. Biodegradation, chemical oxidation, and electrochemical oxidation fall into the low-temperature, low-pressure range; SET, when operated at room temperature, operates at slightly higher pressures.
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From page 44... ...
CSolvated electron technology process can be carried out at the temperature and pressure shown, or at -33°C at ambient pressure. FIGURE 4-1 Comparative operating temperatures and pressures.
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From page 45... ...
This technology has no obvious advantages over the preferred technologies for destruction of RRS neutralents and is not suitable for treatment of MMD neutralents. SET should, therefore, be ranked lower than low-temperature, low-pressure, less-complex process technologies.
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From page 46... ...
Preliminary modeling suggests that the chloroform in the RRS neutralent would be particularly difficult to destroy by biodegradation. Small amounts of metals and biologically recalcitrant organic compounds in both the RRS and the MMD neutralents may also pose major problems.
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