CA1225665A - Method and apparatus for treating polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated sludge - Google Patents
Method and apparatus for treating polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated sludgeInfo
- Publication number
- CA1225665A CA1225665A CA000435964A CA435964A CA1225665A CA 1225665 A CA1225665 A CA 1225665A CA 000435964 A CA000435964 A CA 000435964A CA 435964 A CA435964 A CA 435964A CA 1225665 A CA1225665 A CA 1225665A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- sludge
- polychlorinated biphenyls
- separator
- pcb
- heating means
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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- Treatment Of Sludge (AREA)
- Gasification And Melting Of Waste (AREA)
Abstract
METHOD AND APPARATUS
FOR TREATING POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYL CONTAMINATED SLUDGE
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A method and apparatus for treating polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated sludge involves heating the sludge, using hot turbulent gas at a temperature in the range of 850°
to 2,500° F. with a sludge residence time of about .5 to 2 seconds, to separate the polychlorinated biphenyls from the sludge. The particulates are subsequently removed from a PCB
entraining gas stream and the PCB's are then burned in a multi-fuel burner. Pressurized air, fluidized PCB's, and a gaseous fuel are injected into the burning chamber at spaced points along the length of the flame in a direction generally trans-verse to the direction of the flame to very completely consume the fuel and PCB's.
FOR TREATING POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYL CONTAMINATED SLUDGE
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A method and apparatus for treating polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated sludge involves heating the sludge, using hot turbulent gas at a temperature in the range of 850°
to 2,500° F. with a sludge residence time of about .5 to 2 seconds, to separate the polychlorinated biphenyls from the sludge. The particulates are subsequently removed from a PCB
entraining gas stream and the PCB's are then burned in a multi-fuel burner. Pressurized air, fluidized PCB's, and a gaseous fuel are injected into the burning chamber at spaced points along the length of the flame in a direction generally trans-verse to the direction of the flame to very completely consume the fuel and PCB's.
Description
BACKGROUND OF T~E INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for treating polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated sludge, such as the sand, mud, or the like, formin~ the bottoms of PCB contaminated lakes and streams.
1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for treating polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated sludge, such as the sand, mud, or the like, formin~ the bottoms of PCB contaminated lakes and streams.
2. Back~round Art Since 1978 the manufacture of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been banned in the united St~tes. These chemicals have been widely used in the past in transformers, carbonless carbon paper, hydraulic pumps, caulking compounds~
inks, paints and insect sprays. A tremendous amount of these chemicals, suspected of causing cancer and birth defects, have been dumped over a number of years in an entirely reckless fashion. Commonly these chemicals were dumped in lakes, streams and waterways where they eventually collected in the bottom material in considerable concentrations.
Because of the method of dumping these chemicals, a tremendous mass of material has been contaminated with these chemicals. In the past, bottom soils or the like contaminated with these fluids have been treated by attempting to burn or by burying them. Because of the nature of the materials in which the PCB contamination is often found, burning is extremely difficult and burying is often only a stop gap measure.
It ha~ been recognized that thermal decomposition of polychlorinated organic compounds is possible despite the very high degree of thermal stability of these compounds.
U.S. Patent 4,140,066 discloses a method of decomposing PCB's by exposure to heat in a combustion chamber which operates r~
~5~
with extremely intense turbulance and pulsation under temDer-atures as low as 850 C. and with residence times as shor~ as .1 second. However, tne patent provides no method or apparatus for dealiny with the problem of the treatment of mountainous amounts of contaminated, wet material having a relatively low heating value. Thus while the method set forth in the '066 patent may be highly useful in eliminating PCB containing compounds in relatively small volumes, the process is not particularly helpful in dealing with contaminations on the order of tons in the form of residues in sludge.
A variety of techniques for incinerating waste material are known. The following U.S. patents are exemplary:
4,245,570; 3,858,534; 3,829,558; 3,812,794; 3,716,339; and
inks, paints and insect sprays. A tremendous amount of these chemicals, suspected of causing cancer and birth defects, have been dumped over a number of years in an entirely reckless fashion. Commonly these chemicals were dumped in lakes, streams and waterways where they eventually collected in the bottom material in considerable concentrations.
Because of the method of dumping these chemicals, a tremendous mass of material has been contaminated with these chemicals. In the past, bottom soils or the like contaminated with these fluids have been treated by attempting to burn or by burying them. Because of the nature of the materials in which the PCB contamination is often found, burning is extremely difficult and burying is often only a stop gap measure.
It ha~ been recognized that thermal decomposition of polychlorinated organic compounds is possible despite the very high degree of thermal stability of these compounds.
U.S. Patent 4,140,066 discloses a method of decomposing PCB's by exposure to heat in a combustion chamber which operates r~
~5~
with extremely intense turbulance and pulsation under temDer-atures as low as 850 C. and with residence times as shor~ as .1 second. However, tne patent provides no method or apparatus for dealiny with the problem of the treatment of mountainous amounts of contaminated, wet material having a relatively low heating value. Thus while the method set forth in the '066 patent may be highly useful in eliminating PCB containing compounds in relatively small volumes, the process is not particularly helpful in dealing with contaminations on the order of tons in the form of residues in sludge.
A variety of techniques for incinerating waste material are known. The following U.S. patents are exemplary:
4,245,570; 3,858,534; 3,829,558; 3,812,794; 3,716,339; and
3,511,194.
SUMMARY OF THE_INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus capable of separating PCB's from an extremely large quantity of sludge.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for treating contaminated river, lake, and waterway bottom material in an efficient and econom-ical way.
These and many other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by a method for treating poly-chlorinated biphenyl contaminated sludge that includes thesteps of heating the sludge by exposure to hot gas at a temper-ature of ~50 to 2,500 F., thereby driving the water and poly-chlorinated biphenyls from the sludge and leaving a dry particu-ZS6~5 late mass. The PCB material is formed into a gas stream andprepared for burning.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention apparatus for treating polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated sludge includes a mixing means for mixing the sludge to be treated. A drying means separates the poly-chlorinated biphenyls and water from the sludge and includes means for exposing the sludge to a hot gas stream. Another means removes the fine particles from a gas stream. A burner burns the gaseous PCB material. The burner includes means for injecting ambient air and/or oxygen enriched air trans-versely into the burner flame at spaced points along its length.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a schematic layout of the apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 2-2 in FIG. l; and FIG. 3 is an enlarged~ partial, cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1.
DBTAILED DESCRIPTION OF HE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawing wherein like reference characters are used for like parts throughout the several views, a PCB contaminated sludge treating apparatus 10, shown in FIG. 1, includes a mixer 12, a separator 14, a cyclone separator 16, a bag collector 18, and a furnace 20. Wet or dry sludge contaminated with PCB's is poured into the apparatus 10 through the mixer 12. The nature o~ the sludge is not critical, and the device is adapted to operate with sand, ~25~i~S
mud, sewage, organic matter, effluvia and the like, conven-iently in the form of bottom dredgings.
The mixer 12 is conveniently a conventional mixer/feeder with a screw feeding mechanism (not shown) arranged generally horizontally within the mixer 12. As the sludge is poured into the mixer 12, it is thoroughly mixed and forwarded into the PCB separator 14. As snown in FIG. 2, the sludge may be poured in a wet state (including for example 20~ solids) into the separator 14 and quickly dried. Very hot air is blown inwardly from the bottom of the separator 14 through a wind box 64 and allowed to move upwardly through the device, drying the sludge with the hot turbulent air. In addition a burner 15 is provided at the bottom of the separator 15. The air in the separator 14 may be at a temperature of from 850 F. to 2,500 F.; however, to achieve the full advan-tages of the present invention an operating range of from 1400 F. to 2,000 F is utilized.
The larger particulate material falls downwardly through the separator 14 at a rate controlled by the delaying apparatus 33. The apparatus 33 includes a first frusto-conical surface 34 angled downwardly so as to direct the particulate matter to a central position adjacent the shaft 24. The parti-culate matter falls through the aperture 36 onto the umbrella 38, including a plurality of side by side arms 42. The umbrella 38 is generally frustoconical in shape but is directed upwardly so as to receive the particulate matter and to redirect it outwardly towards ~he periphery of the separator 14. The arms 42 of the frusto-conical umbrella 38 are hingedly secured at their upper ends to a tube 40 surrounding the shaft ~2~5665 24. An umbrella angle adjusting mechanism 44 includes a tube 46 which freely encircles the tube 40 and is arranged for vertical adjustment using a handle 48. A plurality of links 50, connecting the tube 46 to the arms 42 of the umbrella 38, are hingedly connected to both the tube 46 and the arms 42 to permit the angle of the arms 42 to be adjusted, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2. The upper surface of each arm 42 includes a plurality of ridges 51 which control the rate of movement of the particulate matter along the surface of the arms 42.
Eventually the particulate matter tumbles off of the edges of the umbrella 38 and collects at the bottom of the separator 14, eventually flowing outwardly thereof through the opening 52. From the opening 52 any particulate matter that contains an excessive PCB concentration is returned by way of the conveyor channel 54 through the action of the diverter valve 55 to the mixer 12. The mixer 12 mixes the dried coarse particulate matter with the incoming wet sludge and feeds the mixture to the separator 14. The adequately treated sludge is returned to its source by away of passage 57.
In the separator 14 the finer, dry particulate matter is propelled upwardly through the spinning product separator 56. The separator 56, rotated in the upper portion of the separator 14 by a motor 58, includes at least two blades 62.
The fine particulate matter, entrained in the gas flow out of the separator 14, is propelled upwardly out of the separator 14 through the passage 60. The larger particles are returned to the separator 14 by the product separator 56.
~Z2~S
The fine particulates and air entrained DC~ materia7 exiting from the separator 14 are conveyed to the conventional cyclone separator lb whicn separates tne fine particulates from the gas entraining those particulates. The gas exits from the cyclone separator 16 through the opening 65 ~hile the particulates move downwardly through the exit 66. The yas procee~ing through the opening 65 passes ro a conventional bag collector 18 ~hat removes any remaining particulates in a more thorough fashion. The remaining gas is expelled through the passage 68 wnile any newly recovered particulates fall downwardly through the passage 70 to join the particulates collected by the cyclone separator 1~. The PCB effluvia is then fed to a furnace 20, while particulates are tested for PCB concentration and, ir a safe PCB level exists, they are dum~ed. A cnarcoal filter 72 is arranged in the passage 68 to provide a final particulate cleaning step.
The gas flow through the entire system is responsive to action of the blower 71 while the movement of the separated particles is responsive to the blower 73. The blower 71 is powerful enough to maintain a vacuum within the separator 14, and is conveniently capable of moving about 13,500 SCFM of hot air.
A suitable multiple fuel burning apparatus for use as the furnace 20 herein is described in U.S. patents 4,273,527 and 3,174,530 both to Cyril F. Meenan. The furnace 20 is cap-able of burning unconventional fuels of very low heating value, at very high temperatures, for example from 3,500 to 5,000F
.
~2~6~S
As shown in FIG. 3, the Eurnace 20 includes a plurality of side by side concentric pipes 84, the pipes 84a conveying wzter, the pipes 84b conveying pressurized air and/or 2 enriched air, the pipes 84c conveying a pressurized combus-tible fuel gas such as natural gas or natural gas pre-mixea with 2~ and the pipes 84d conveying the PCB effluvia in the form of PCBs entrained in gas. The air in the pipes 84b is conveniently ambient air and/or 2 enriched air. The pipes 84b, 84c, and 84d include a plurality of nozzles 86 arranged to direct the gas flow out of the pipes radially inwardly in a circumferential fashion to the center of the generally tubular combustion chamber 88. Thus, air, natural gas and effluvia are progressively mixed along the length of the axially directed burner flame, emanating from the burner 80, conveniently a natural gas burner, indicated as 90 in FIG. 3. The transversely or radially injected air and gas mix with the axially applied burner flame resulting in very thorough and complete combustion of the PCB's. The water circulating through the pipes 84a is heated in the process and may be used in the boiler 78 to produce superheated water or steam. A portion of the hot flue gases are conducted to the boiler 78 for this purpose.
The hot water or steam produced by the boiler 78 is used for ; operating power generating turbines in a conventional fashion.
A portion of the hot combustion gases from the interior of the combustion chamber 88 may also be conducted, by way of the passage 82, to the interior of the separator 14 where they operate to dry the incoming sludge.
Before any flue gases are released to the environment from the boiler 78, they are treated by an emissions control Z5~6~
device 92. The device 92, of conventional form, includes chemical scrubbers and/or electrostatic precipitators tnat emo~te any hazardous wastes.
The present device has been found to be nighly effective in separating PCB's from sludge in the separator 1~
and in subsequently destroying the PCB's such that one percent or less of the PCB's remain after final processing. Since all the eY~hausts from each step in the operation or the apparatus are controlled, these exhausts may be recycled if it is found that their PCB concentration is too high.
The residence time of the sludge witnin the separator 14 may be controlled by adjusting the angle of the umbrella 38 to control the rate of exhaust of the large particulate matter from the separator 14. To achieve the full advantages of the present invention a residence time of the sludge within the separator 14 on the order of .5 to 2 seconds is used. A
highly advantageous arrangement utilizes air within the sepa~ator 14 at 1~00 F. with a residence time of tne parti-culate matter within the roller mill/separator of about .5 seconds. At a temperature of ~0 F. within the separator 14, a residence time of about 10 seconds is required. The apparatus 10 is capable of processing on the order of 10,000 pounds of sludge per hour~
The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limita-tions should be understood therefrom as many modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art, ~ , .
SUMMARY OF THE_INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus capable of separating PCB's from an extremely large quantity of sludge.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for treating contaminated river, lake, and waterway bottom material in an efficient and econom-ical way.
These and many other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by a method for treating poly-chlorinated biphenyl contaminated sludge that includes thesteps of heating the sludge by exposure to hot gas at a temper-ature of ~50 to 2,500 F., thereby driving the water and poly-chlorinated biphenyls from the sludge and leaving a dry particu-ZS6~5 late mass. The PCB material is formed into a gas stream andprepared for burning.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention apparatus for treating polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated sludge includes a mixing means for mixing the sludge to be treated. A drying means separates the poly-chlorinated biphenyls and water from the sludge and includes means for exposing the sludge to a hot gas stream. Another means removes the fine particles from a gas stream. A burner burns the gaseous PCB material. The burner includes means for injecting ambient air and/or oxygen enriched air trans-versely into the burner flame at spaced points along its length.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a schematic layout of the apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 2-2 in FIG. l; and FIG. 3 is an enlarged~ partial, cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1.
DBTAILED DESCRIPTION OF HE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawing wherein like reference characters are used for like parts throughout the several views, a PCB contaminated sludge treating apparatus 10, shown in FIG. 1, includes a mixer 12, a separator 14, a cyclone separator 16, a bag collector 18, and a furnace 20. Wet or dry sludge contaminated with PCB's is poured into the apparatus 10 through the mixer 12. The nature o~ the sludge is not critical, and the device is adapted to operate with sand, ~25~i~S
mud, sewage, organic matter, effluvia and the like, conven-iently in the form of bottom dredgings.
The mixer 12 is conveniently a conventional mixer/feeder with a screw feeding mechanism (not shown) arranged generally horizontally within the mixer 12. As the sludge is poured into the mixer 12, it is thoroughly mixed and forwarded into the PCB separator 14. As snown in FIG. 2, the sludge may be poured in a wet state (including for example 20~ solids) into the separator 14 and quickly dried. Very hot air is blown inwardly from the bottom of the separator 14 through a wind box 64 and allowed to move upwardly through the device, drying the sludge with the hot turbulent air. In addition a burner 15 is provided at the bottom of the separator 15. The air in the separator 14 may be at a temperature of from 850 F. to 2,500 F.; however, to achieve the full advan-tages of the present invention an operating range of from 1400 F. to 2,000 F is utilized.
The larger particulate material falls downwardly through the separator 14 at a rate controlled by the delaying apparatus 33. The apparatus 33 includes a first frusto-conical surface 34 angled downwardly so as to direct the particulate matter to a central position adjacent the shaft 24. The parti-culate matter falls through the aperture 36 onto the umbrella 38, including a plurality of side by side arms 42. The umbrella 38 is generally frustoconical in shape but is directed upwardly so as to receive the particulate matter and to redirect it outwardly towards ~he periphery of the separator 14. The arms 42 of the frusto-conical umbrella 38 are hingedly secured at their upper ends to a tube 40 surrounding the shaft ~2~5665 24. An umbrella angle adjusting mechanism 44 includes a tube 46 which freely encircles the tube 40 and is arranged for vertical adjustment using a handle 48. A plurality of links 50, connecting the tube 46 to the arms 42 of the umbrella 38, are hingedly connected to both the tube 46 and the arms 42 to permit the angle of the arms 42 to be adjusted, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2. The upper surface of each arm 42 includes a plurality of ridges 51 which control the rate of movement of the particulate matter along the surface of the arms 42.
Eventually the particulate matter tumbles off of the edges of the umbrella 38 and collects at the bottom of the separator 14, eventually flowing outwardly thereof through the opening 52. From the opening 52 any particulate matter that contains an excessive PCB concentration is returned by way of the conveyor channel 54 through the action of the diverter valve 55 to the mixer 12. The mixer 12 mixes the dried coarse particulate matter with the incoming wet sludge and feeds the mixture to the separator 14. The adequately treated sludge is returned to its source by away of passage 57.
In the separator 14 the finer, dry particulate matter is propelled upwardly through the spinning product separator 56. The separator 56, rotated in the upper portion of the separator 14 by a motor 58, includes at least two blades 62.
The fine particulate matter, entrained in the gas flow out of the separator 14, is propelled upwardly out of the separator 14 through the passage 60. The larger particles are returned to the separator 14 by the product separator 56.
~Z2~S
The fine particulates and air entrained DC~ materia7 exiting from the separator 14 are conveyed to the conventional cyclone separator lb whicn separates tne fine particulates from the gas entraining those particulates. The gas exits from the cyclone separator 16 through the opening 65 ~hile the particulates move downwardly through the exit 66. The yas procee~ing through the opening 65 passes ro a conventional bag collector 18 ~hat removes any remaining particulates in a more thorough fashion. The remaining gas is expelled through the passage 68 wnile any newly recovered particulates fall downwardly through the passage 70 to join the particulates collected by the cyclone separator 1~. The PCB effluvia is then fed to a furnace 20, while particulates are tested for PCB concentration and, ir a safe PCB level exists, they are dum~ed. A cnarcoal filter 72 is arranged in the passage 68 to provide a final particulate cleaning step.
The gas flow through the entire system is responsive to action of the blower 71 while the movement of the separated particles is responsive to the blower 73. The blower 71 is powerful enough to maintain a vacuum within the separator 14, and is conveniently capable of moving about 13,500 SCFM of hot air.
A suitable multiple fuel burning apparatus for use as the furnace 20 herein is described in U.S. patents 4,273,527 and 3,174,530 both to Cyril F. Meenan. The furnace 20 is cap-able of burning unconventional fuels of very low heating value, at very high temperatures, for example from 3,500 to 5,000F
.
~2~6~S
As shown in FIG. 3, the Eurnace 20 includes a plurality of side by side concentric pipes 84, the pipes 84a conveying wzter, the pipes 84b conveying pressurized air and/or 2 enriched air, the pipes 84c conveying a pressurized combus-tible fuel gas such as natural gas or natural gas pre-mixea with 2~ and the pipes 84d conveying the PCB effluvia in the form of PCBs entrained in gas. The air in the pipes 84b is conveniently ambient air and/or 2 enriched air. The pipes 84b, 84c, and 84d include a plurality of nozzles 86 arranged to direct the gas flow out of the pipes radially inwardly in a circumferential fashion to the center of the generally tubular combustion chamber 88. Thus, air, natural gas and effluvia are progressively mixed along the length of the axially directed burner flame, emanating from the burner 80, conveniently a natural gas burner, indicated as 90 in FIG. 3. The transversely or radially injected air and gas mix with the axially applied burner flame resulting in very thorough and complete combustion of the PCB's. The water circulating through the pipes 84a is heated in the process and may be used in the boiler 78 to produce superheated water or steam. A portion of the hot flue gases are conducted to the boiler 78 for this purpose.
The hot water or steam produced by the boiler 78 is used for ; operating power generating turbines in a conventional fashion.
A portion of the hot combustion gases from the interior of the combustion chamber 88 may also be conducted, by way of the passage 82, to the interior of the separator 14 where they operate to dry the incoming sludge.
Before any flue gases are released to the environment from the boiler 78, they are treated by an emissions control Z5~6~
device 92. The device 92, of conventional form, includes chemical scrubbers and/or electrostatic precipitators tnat emo~te any hazardous wastes.
The present device has been found to be nighly effective in separating PCB's from sludge in the separator 1~
and in subsequently destroying the PCB's such that one percent or less of the PCB's remain after final processing. Since all the eY~hausts from each step in the operation or the apparatus are controlled, these exhausts may be recycled if it is found that their PCB concentration is too high.
The residence time of the sludge witnin the separator 14 may be controlled by adjusting the angle of the umbrella 38 to control the rate of exhaust of the large particulate matter from the separator 14. To achieve the full advantages of the present invention a residence time of the sludge within the separator 14 on the order of .5 to 2 seconds is used. A
highly advantageous arrangement utilizes air within the sepa~ator 14 at 1~00 F. with a residence time of tne parti-culate matter within the roller mill/separator of about .5 seconds. At a temperature of ~0 F. within the separator 14, a residence time of about 10 seconds is required. The apparatus 10 is capable of processing on the order of 10,000 pounds of sludge per hour~
The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limita-tions should be understood therefrom as many modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art, ~ , .
Claims (22)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A method for treating polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated waterway bottom material comprising:
heating said material by exposure to hot gas at a temperature of from 850 to 2,500° F. in a heating means thereby separating the polychlorinated biphenyls from the material;
and conveying said separated polychlorinated bipnenyls out of said heating means for further treatment.
heating said material by exposure to hot gas at a temperature of from 850 to 2,500° F. in a heating means thereby separating the polychlorinated biphenyls from the material;
and conveying said separated polychlorinated bipnenyls out of said heating means for further treatment.
2. The method of claim 1 further including forming a fluidized stream of fine particulates and gaseously entrained PCB material; and separating the gaseously entrained PCB
material from the fine particulates.
material from the fine particulates.
3. A method of claim 1 further including the step of burning the polychlorinated biphenyls.
4. The method of claim 1 including exposing said material to said hot gas for a period of time sufficient to leave 1% or less of the polychlorinated biphenyls in the material.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the material is exposed to said hot gas for a period of .5 to 10 seconds.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the hot gas vaporizes said polychlorinated biphenyls and entrains a por-tion of the material, as fine particulates, into said vapor-ized polychlorinated biphenyls.
7. The method of claim 6 further including separat-ing the particulates from the polychlorinated biphenyls.
8. The method of claim 1 including:
contacting the sludge in a separator with said hot turbulent gas at a temperature of 850° F. to 2500° F. to vapor-ize the polychlorinated biphenyls and thereby separate the polychlorinated biphenyls from the material and gaseously entrain a portion of the finer material in particulate form, leaving a dryed coarser particulate mass of material having 1% or less of polychlorinated biphenyls; and conveying the separated polychlorinated biphenyls out of the heating means.
contacting the sludge in a separator with said hot turbulent gas at a temperature of 850° F. to 2500° F. to vapor-ize the polychlorinated biphenyls and thereby separate the polychlorinated biphenyls from the material and gaseously entrain a portion of the finer material in particulate form, leaving a dryed coarser particulate mass of material having 1% or less of polychlorinated biphenyls; and conveying the separated polychlorinated biphenyls out of the heating means.
9. The method of claim 8 further including convey-ing the entrained particulate material out of said heating means and separating the particulate material from the vaporized polychlorinated biphenyls.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein the material is contacted with hot turbulent air at a temperature of 1400 °
F. to 2000° F.
F. to 2000° F.
11. The method of claim 8 including directing the material into the heating means and onto a first drying surface disposed within said heating means, said first surface angled downwardly from a periphery of the heating means towards a longitudinal center of the heating means for directing the material into a position at the longitudinal center of the heating means for contact with the hot turbulent gas and vaporization of the polychlorinated biphenyls; and dropping the material from said first surface onto a lower, second drying surface disposed within said heating means, said second surface angled downwardly from the longi-tudinal center of the heating means towards the periphery of the heating means for directing the material toward the peri-phery of the heating means, while vaporizing the polychlori-nated biphenyls from the material.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein said first and second drying surfaces are frusto-conically shaped.
13. The method of claim 3 wherein said PCB material is burned by transversely injecting the PCB material into a burner flame at spaced points along the length of the flame.
14. The method of claim 13 including the step of mixing the PCB material with fossil fuel during burning.
15. The method of claim 14 including the steps of adding combustible fuel gas and air at spaced points along the length of the burner flame in a direction generally trans-verse to the flame length.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein said heating step includes heating the sludge to a temperature of between 1400 and 2000° F. for a period of from .5 to 2 seconds.
17. An apparatus for treating polychlorinated bi-phenyl contaminated sludge comprising:
separating means for separating the polychlorinated biphenyls and water from the sludge, said separating means including means for exposing the sludge to a hot gas stream to vaporize the polychlorinated biphenyls.
separating means for separating the polychlorinated biphenyls and water from the sludge, said separating means including means for exposing the sludge to a hot gas stream to vaporize the polychlorinated biphenyls.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said separat-ing means includes means for exposing the sludge to a hot gas stream for a period of time sufficient to vaporize a substan-tial portion of the polychlorinated biphenyls from the sludge, leaving 1% or less of the polychlorinated biphenyls in the sludge; and means for conveying said separated polychlorinated biphenyls and water out of said drying means for further treat-ment.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said separat-ing means includes means for exposing the sludge to a hot gas stream to dry the sludge and convey water vapor, gaseously entrained polychlorinated biphenyls and a portion of sludge particulates away from said separating means; and means for separating the particulates from the water and polychlorinated biphenyls.
20. Apparatus as defined in claim 19 further includ-ing means for further treating said water and polychlorinated biphenyls.
21. Apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein the separating means includes an internal first sludge - hot gas contacting surface angled downwardly from a periphery of the separator towards a longitudinal center of the separator for directing the sludge toward the longitudinal center of the separator for contact with the hot gas and vaporization of the polychlorinated biphenyls; and a second, lower, internal sludge - hot gas contact surface angled downwardly from the longitudinal center of the separator towards the periphery of the separator for directing the sludge toward the periphery of the separator, while vaporizing the polychlorinated biphenyls from the sludge.
22. The apparatus of claim 19 further including means for burning said separated PCB's, said burner means including means for injecting air transversely into a burner flame at spaced points along the length of the burner.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000435964A CA1225665A (en) | 1983-09-02 | 1983-09-02 | Method and apparatus for treating polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated sludge |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000435964A CA1225665A (en) | 1983-09-02 | 1983-09-02 | Method and apparatus for treating polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated sludge |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1225665A true CA1225665A (en) | 1987-08-18 |
Family
ID=4126001
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000435964A Expired CA1225665A (en) | 1983-09-02 | 1983-09-02 | Method and apparatus for treating polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated sludge |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1225665A (en) |
-
1983
- 1983-09-02 CA CA000435964A patent/CA1225665A/en not_active Expired
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