JP2003126809A - Method for decomposing halogenated organic compound in solid - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for decontamination of organic halide in asphalt- containing waste such as PCB in an asphaltic potting compound. SOLUTION: The method can use an alkali metal reactant such as a sodium dispersion and a hydrocarbon solvent for dissolving the asphaltic waste in order to decompose the organic halide in the dissolved mixture.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention is in the field of processes for the decomposition of hazardous compounds in solid wastes, in particular for the chemical decomposition of halogenated organic compounds.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It has been determined that a wide range of halogenated organic compounds are potentially dangerous to human health or the environment. The safe degradation of those compounds in some wastes is made particularly difficult by the nature of the wastes, which can hinder the handling of hazardous compounds for processing purposes. An example of the present invention is polychlorinated biphenyl (PC).
B) Contaminating potting material (potting comp)
the treatment of various dangerous halogenated compounds in waste made of asphalt.

PCBs are a family of highly stable halogenated organic compounds in which there are over 200 individual compounds (sometimes known as congeners identified by IUPAC numbers 1-209). P
CB is a product of chlorination of a biphenyl structure in which one or more of the 10 hydrogen atoms of biphenyl are replaced with chlorine atoms.

PCBs are often manufactured as a blended product such as Allocraz ™ sold by Monsanto Chemical Company. PCBs are often used as an insulating fluid, for example for electrical installations, in admixture with other halogenated organic compounds such as trichlorobenzene or tetrachlorobenzene (such admixtures are referred to by the trade name Ascarells). . In various aspects, the invention relates to methods for the decomposition of such compounds and mixtures.

PCBs are not easily degraded by natural processes. Its use has been banned for environmental reasons due to the environmental and potential hazards to residents. PCBs do not readily biodegrade and will not disappear or corrode in any way by natural processes. Once it is produced, it can only be broken down by special and generally expensive procedures.

[0006] PCBs have been widely used as dielectric materials in electrical components such as transformers and capacitors because of their stability, good heat conduction, and fire resistance, yet good electrical insulation. Although the further use of PCBs for such purposes is generally prohibited by regulation in most jurisdictions, large amounts of those chemicals are found in existing equipment or industrial waste, especially in the electrical industry. Exists in. In some jurisdictions, there is a very large amount of waste in the pile waiting for disposal, which is identified as contaminated with PCBs.

The time consuming nature of the organic halide disposal problem has been attributed to a significant number of innovative processes, for example in the following US patents, which are hereby incorporated by reference:
This is reflected by the fact that it has been disclosed for many years for the treatment of PCBs and other organic halides as discussed in. These patents are US Pat. No. 4,2, issued on Aug. 18, 1981 to Parker et al.
84,516; U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,471 issued to Jordan on July 20, 1982; U.S. Pat. No. 4, issued to Brown et al. On Mar. 22, 1983.
No. 377,471, US Pat. No. 4,379,752 issued to Norman on April 12, 1983, US Pat. No. 4,3 issued to Norman on April 12, 1983
79,746, U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,590 issued to Adams on Aug. 14, 1984, U.S. Pat. No. 5,59 issued to Rayman et al. On Jun. 3, 1986.
No. 2,844, U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,309 issued January 27, 1987 to La Lancet et al., And U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,479 issued July 14, 1998 to Plunkett. No. 813.

Although PCBs can be decomposed by incineration, PCs such as polychlorinated dioxins and furans
High temperatures and controlled conditions are generally required to avoid the generation of PCB pyrolysis by-products, which can be significantly more toxic than B. PCBs have also been treated by landfill, but the stability of these compounds raises issues with regard to disposal that does not decompose the compounds themselves.

The condenser containing the PCB is a fluorescent ballast until it is prohibited by regulation.
Used in electrical equipment such as. Many of these capacitors leak PCB to the ballast during malfunction and therefore contaminate internal parts of the ballast, such as potting material. The potting material is typically a mixture of asphalt and sand (silica) that surrounds the electrical components in the ballast. The potting material may also include other ingredients such as waxes which improve properties such as the melting range of the potting material and the adhesive properties of asphalt. Asphalt is mainly used to provide adhesion to the sand, which acts as an insulator and heat conductor. Some potting materials include, for example, 35-50% silica, 50-65% for proper heat transfer.
Of asphalt and 0-10% wax.

Disposal of used PCB-containing electrical components, such as condenser and fluorescent ballast assemblies, is a relatively recent regulation specifically governing liability for their disposal and waste products so disposed. In terms of its environmental safety, it has raised issues for commercial and other institutions over the last few years. Decontamination of materials inside (metals, wires and windings, plastics, etc.),
The concomitant problems of allowing the preservation and recovery of parts and materials in used ballasts by recycling and reuse, refurbishment or recycling have been largely ignored in terms of environmental concerns.

[0011]

There is a long-standing need for another approach to decontamination of PCBs, especially wastes containing halogenated organic compounds such as those that would be difficult to treat. . Because it is composed of a complex cementitious mixture containing dangerous compounds. In such wastes, the interaction of dangerous compounds with other compounds in the waste matrix can hinder the manageability of the dangerous compounds for processing.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, asphalt waste is prepared using relatively mild conditions that include dissolving a compound in a solvent.
It has been discovered that it is possible to substantially decontaminate halogenated organic compounds such as PCBs in tic waste). In some embodiments, such methods may be made even more efficient by recycling the hydrocarbon solvent used in the methods of the invention. The processing conditions are, for example, otherwise toxic thermal PC
It can be chosen to avoid the high temperatures that would lead to the formation of B decomposition products or evaporative dispersions of PCB. Therefore,
In one aspect, the present invention provides a method for the degradation of PCBs in asphalt waste, wherein the method may include the following steps A, B and C.

A) mixing asphalt waste such as potting material containing halogenated organic compounds such as PCB with a solvent such as a hydrocarbon solvent to form a waste-solvent mixture. Waste such as potting material can, for example, encase electrical components, which can be treated with the waste in the method of the present invention. In some aspects, for example, the potting material and the electrical components encapsulated by the potting material may be separated first, and the potting material and the electrical component may each be processed separately.

B) heating the waste-solvent mixture to the dissolution temperature for the dissolution time, the asphalt waste is dissolved in the solvent, and thus halogenated organic compounds such as PCB are removed from the asphalt waste. Making a free heated waste-solvent mixture. In some embodiments, a hydrocarbon solvent that promotes dissolution of the asphalt waste at relatively mild temperatures may be selected.

C) Decomposition reactants such as alkali metal (such as sodium) at the reaction temperature over the reaction time to the heated waste-solvent mixture.
Tive reactant) to make a treated waste-solvent mixture. Halogenated organic compounds such as PCBs can react substantially all with the alkali metal reactants to decompose PCBs in the treated waste-solvent mixture. For example, the alkali metal can be present in the alkali metal dispersion in the alkali metal solvent. In another aspect, the method is described in, for example, US Pat. No. 5,185,488 to Hawali; European Patent EP to Bari et al.
0225849, and the Canadian Electrical Association Report 153D2.
53, "Upscaling of Chemical Reactions for Degrading Polychlorinated Biphenyls", Dominelli, N., and Pouf, D. et al.
R. , May 17, 1983), including but not limited to the addition of hydrogen donors or promoters such as water, alcohols or acids. In another embodiment, a hydrolysis reactant such as water.
waste that has been treated-
It can be added to the waste-solvent mixture treated to hydrolyze the excess alkali metal remaining in the solvent mixture.

In some embodiments, the asphalt waste may be solid asphalt waste having a particular melting temperature. Solid asphalt waste containing PCBs, for example, at grinding temperatures below the melting temperature of the solid asphalt waste, eg, brittle far below the melting temperature, which makes the asphalt material brittle and facilitates the destruction of the asphalt material. At temperature, it can be ground. In such an embodiment, milled waste can be converted to particulate waste having a relatively large surface area to enhance dissolution in the solvent.

In some embodiments, the melting temperature, reaction temperature, and melting temperature can be adjusted, for example, below the boiling point of the halogenated organic compound, and thus, for example, according to the present invention. It can help avoid evaporation loss of dangerous compounds such as PCB during the process.

In one aspect, the treated waste-solvent mixture can be distilled to separate a solvent, such as a hydrocarbon solvent, from the asphalt waste, for example, to produce a recyclable hydrocarbon solvent. The distillation conditions can be adjusted, for example, so that the recyclable solvent is substantially free of asphalt. The recyclable solvent, in turn, is used to make a waste-solvent mixture.
It can be reused as a solvent in the process of mixing with asphalt waste.

In various aspects of the present invention, the asphalt waste is a waste product of which the asphalt constitutes a substantial portion, and for the purposes of the method of the present invention, the halogenated organic compound is of asphalt content. It may be included depending on the cementitious nature. According to the general understanding in the art, asphalt generally includes bituminous substances derived from residues in refining from natural sources such as petroleum, shale oil, coal tar and pitch. Asphalt is typically a mixture of hydrocarbons of natural and / or thermogenic origin, with derivatives thereof, often prepared by distillation of crude oil. As such, asphalt is a mixture of paraffinic and aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic compounds containing sulfur, nitrogen and oxygen. Asphalt is a cementitious material that has a solid or semi-solid consistency.

Halogenated organic compounds that can be treated in accordance with another aspect of the present invention include aromatic and non-aromatic halides (bromides, chlorides, fluorides and iodides). Representative halogenated organic compounds include PCBs and dioxins. In some aspects, the invention is limited to the degradation of PCBs.

In one aspect of the invention, the steps of crushing electrical components to form crushed pieces, adding solvent to the crushed pieces to form a mixture,
Sufficient to dissolve the asphaltic material, thereby heating the mixture to a reaction temperature that releases the hazardous compound from the material, and sufficient to reduce the amount of hazardous material in the waste mixture. A method for decontamination of electrical components encapsulated in an asphalt composition comprising the step of reacting the mixture with a compound such as an alkali metal dispersion for a period of time.

In accordance with some aspects of the present invention, there is provided a method for decontamination of hazardous compounds such as halogenated organic compounds (including PCBs) found in light ballasts, where light The ballast is composed of asphalt potting material and electrical components. Such a method of the invention is sufficient, for example, to grind the light stabilizer to form a milled fragment, add a solvent to the milled fragment to form a mixture, dissolve the potting material. Heating the mixture to a reaction temperature which is, reacting the mixture with a reactant such as an alkali metal dispersion for a time sufficient to reduce the amount of dangerous compounds in the mixture.

In another aspect, the present invention provides: a) means for mixing a solvent and an asphalt waste containing an organic halide to form a waste-solvent mixture; b) dissolving the waste-solvent mixture for a dissolution time. Means for heating to temperature to dissolve the asphalt waste in a solvent, thus producing a heated waste-solvent mixture in which organic halides are liberated from the asphalt waste, c) said heated waste Means to make a treated waste-solvent mixture in which the decomposition reactant is added to the solvent mixture over the reaction time at the reaction temperature and the organic halide has substantially reacted with the decomposition reactant to decompose the organic halide. An apparatus having means for performing the steps of the method of the present invention, such as

The apparatus of the present invention may include an automatic control mechanism compatible with standard material handling equipment to carry out the method of the present invention in an automated fashion. Such a control mechanism is
For example, the dissolution time may be compatible with a mixer having a heating element and a timer for mixing solvent and waste at the dissolution temperature. The control mechanism also treats waste-waste heated at reaction temperature for reaction time to make a solvent mixture-
It may also be compatible with mixers or reaction vessels for reacting solvent mixtures.

[0025]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, the present invention provides a relatively gentle method for decontaminating electrical components using organic solvents. Surprisingly, the process of the present invention has been disclosed, which has been found to be capable of dissolving asphalt waste to the extent that it facilitates degradative chemical treatment of hazardous compounds such as PCBs. . The electrical component can be, for example, a capacitor winding packaged in an asphalt potting material, which can be found in a fluorescent ballast. A method for treating asphalt waste may include heating the waste in a solvent to react the dissolved material with a reactant such as an alkali metal in an organic solvent dispersion. In some embodiments, surprisingly, even complex mixtures of asphalt waste derived from potting materials (at temperatures below the boiling point of PCBs in preferred embodiments) when dissolved in a selected solvent are present. It has been discovered that it can be treated to decompose all PCB contaminants.

In this context, "substantially degrading" a dangerous compound such as PCB means that the concentration of the dangerous compound is reduced to a level where the compound is not dangerous or toxic. In some aspects, for example, there are legal limits on the concentration of PCBs in waste, and thus the methods of the invention reduce the concentration of PCBs in waste to levels below the legal limits. Can be used for. In some embodiments, the concentration of dangerous compounds such as PCB is, for example, about 100 ppm, 9
0ppm, 80ppm, 70ppm, 60ppm, 50
ppm, 40ppm, 30ppm, 20ppm, 10p
pm, 5ppm, 2ppm, 1ppm or 0.5pp
It can be reduced in the treated waste to levels below m. In another embodiment, the waste to be treated may, for example, initially have the following values: about 100 ppm, 200 ppm, 30
0ppm, 400ppm, 500ppm, 1000pp
m, 2000ppm, 3000ppm, 4000pp
m, 5000ppm, 6000ppm, 7000pp
m, 8000ppm, 9000ppm, 10,000p
pm, 100,000 ppm or 200,000 pp
Hazardous compounds such as PCBs may be included at concentrations above m (or any value between 100 ppm and 200,000 ppm). Another aspect of the invention may relate to, for example, treating a waste having a concentration of a hazardous compound greater than any one of the aforementioned first values, so that the treated waste is It has a concentration of hazardous compounds below any one of the values of the treated waste mentioned above.
Such treatments include, for example, 80%, 90%, 95%,
It can be characterized as degrading a certain percentage of dangerous compounds such as 99%, 99.9% or 99.99%.

In some aspects of the invention, the fluorescent ballast is a potting material (mainly composed of asphalt and sand).
And can be separated into capacitor rolls. The potting material and the electrical components, such as capacitor windings, can be treated separately by the method of the invention, or the potting material and the electrical components can be treated together. Separation of waste streams can increase useful options for product disposal by the methods of the present invention, including the possibility of recycling.

Separation of the potting material from the electrical components in the fluorescent ballast can be carried out, for example, by a manual or automatic process. For example, the asphalt potting material can be subjected to impact forces that promote crack formation in the potting material and thus separation of the potting material from internal electrical components. For example, related to cryogenic freezing of potting material to such an extent that it is fragile enough to allow the frozen potting material to be broken into small pieces that can be relatively cleanly separated from the internal electrical components. A method of doing so is disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,230,140 (incorporated herein by reference).

Waste to be treated, such as potting material, can be comminuted. In some embodiments, the milled waste has a preferred particle size, such as an average particle size of less than approximately 2 inches (5 cm), 1 inch (2.5 cm) or 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) in size. Can have. The method of separating the potting material from the electrical components may be adapted to produce potting material fragments within the particle size range described above, or an additional step of grinding the potting material may be performed. Reducing the particle size of waste is
For example, it can be achieved by processing the waste through a suitable grinder for size reduction. The crushing or grinding process can be chosen so that it breaks up the waste without melting it. In certain embodiments, a rotary shaft grinder design with a horizontal ram feed is preferred, where the grinder minimizes cutting friction and heat generation. Waste such as ground potting material can be loaded into a reaction vessel such as a mixer / evaporator to which solvent is added. In certain embodiments, a plow-type horizontal mixer may be used. Because it is
This is because the material is more efficiently dispersed than a ribbon or blade type mixer.

The solvent for dissolving the asphalt waste has a boiling point of about 5 ° C to 10 ° C below the reaction temperature.
It can be chosen to be above the reaction temperature, such as by being high. In some embodiments, the reaction temperature is, for example, in some embodiments, the solvent is at least about 105 ° C. to at least about 180 ° C. (or any value in the range).
It may be 100 ° C. to 170 ° C. (as above), as selected at the boiling point of. Using a solvent with a suitable boiling point can reduce evaporation of the solvent during the reaction with the waste and, if desired, can facilitate more efficient recovery of the solvent by distillation at the end of the process. . In addition, the solvent is preferably chosen to be of a type that does not react with the reactants, such as solvents that do not react with the alkali metal under the reaction conditions.

In various embodiments, suitable solvents for the process of the present invention may include mineral spirits, aliphatic hydrocarbons, paraffin oils, insulating oils or trans oils. Examples of suitable hydrocarbon solvents in some aspects include:
VARSOL® or ISOPAR K® solvents (manufactured by ExxonMobil Corporation) are included. Preferred solvents are low polar liquids such as hydrocarbon solvents and preferred hydrocarbon solvents are oils. The term solvent, as used herein, is any liquid that is liquid at the melting and reaction temperatures, is capable of dissolving asphalt waste, and serves as a medium by which organohalogen compounds can be decomposed. Including substances.

In some embodiments, the waste-solvent mixture dissolves, for example, asphalt waste (such as potting material), thereby releasing dangerous compounds (such as PCB) into the solution. Can be heated in a mixer to a temperature of up to about 100 ° C to about 170 ° C. The temperature can be maintained at the selected reaction temperature for the entire reaction or can be adjusted over time. During the process, the oxygen content in the reaction vessel can be maintained below the flammability limit of the solvent to increase process safety. An inert gas atmosphere can be applied to increase safety. In some embodiments, the oxygen content of the atmosphere in the reaction vessel is always below about 10%, 9%, 8%, 7% or preferably 6% during the step of dissolving the waste, and the sodium dispersion When such an alkali metal reactant is present, it can be maintained below about 5%, 4%, 3% or preferably below 2.5%.

In some embodiments, an alkali metal, such as a dispersion of sodium in a solvent, can be added to the reaction mixture and reacted with the halogenated organic compound for a time of, for example, 30-60 minutes. In part, depending on the amount of organic halide present in the starting material,
More or less time may be needed. Sodium dispersions are generally commercially available. Moreover, there are numerous methods known for the production of suitable sodium dispersions. The solvent used in the alkali metal dispersion will preferably have a boiling point similar to the solvent used to dissolve the asphalt waste, and in some embodiments, dissolve the asphalt waste. It can have the same boiling point as the solvent used for. The alkali metal solvent may be selected, for example, from the following non-exclusive list, mineral oil, paraffin oil, insulating oil or trans oil. In another aspect, the particle size of the alkali metal dispersion is about 100 microns, 50 microns, 4
It can be less than 0 microns, 30 microns, 20 microns, 10 microns or 5 microns.

(For example, US Pat.
477,354, U.S. Pat. No. 5,0 to Rogers et al.
64,526, US Pat. No. 4, to Pitlevsky et al.
460,797, or another PCB decomposition method such as a base-catalyzed decomposition method (as disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,471,143 to Pitlevsky et al.) Or an alkali metal hydroxide-based decomposition method. Can be used.
In some embodiments, another alkali metal such as potassium can be used.

After the reaction has been allowed to proceed for some time, excess alkali metal in the reaction mixture can be hydrolyzed and neutralized, for example by injecting water and carbon dioxide into the mixer. The hydrogen formed during this stage of the process can be trapped for later use or exhausted to the environment after passing through a suitable exhaust filter, the purpose of the filter being to To capture any liquids and solids that can be carried away.

The solvent can be recovered for reuse, for example by distillation. Distillation may first be carried out at atmospheric pressure or reduced pressure. In some embodiments, the distillation pressure may be lowered during distillation to facilitate near complete recovery of solvent. Decontamination-treated asphalt waste products are
For example, it can be left molten by maintaining the potting material at a temperature above the melting point of the material, such as 120-170 ° C. The treated asphalt waste can be discharged from the reaction vessel into a collection bin.

In some embodiments, electrical components such as capacitor turns obtained from fluorescent ballasts can be treated in a manner similar to that described above for asphalt waste. This may be advantageous, for example, when the part has asphalt material still attached to the part. In such an embodiment, the reaction temperature is, for example,
It will be in the approximate range of 150 ° C to 170 ° C. Decontaminated electrical components can be discharged from the reaction vessel as solids.

[0038]

The following examples illustrate aspects of the invention, but are not exclusive and do not limit the scope of the invention.

Example 1 All PCB analyzes in the example were 0.53 mm wide and 15 mm long.
m was performed on a HP5890 gas chromatograph equipped with a DB5 wide bore capillary column and an electron capture detector. AS with detection limit of 2 mg / kg PCB
The TM D4059 method was used. Other test methods may also be used, such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or other methods occasionally published by other governments or industry agencies.

The PCB-contaminated potting material from the fluorescent ballast was separated from the other parts and ground as described above until the potting material had an average particle size of less than 1/2 "in size. 200 g of ground potting material was placed in a 750 mL glass reaction vessel equipped with a water cooled condenser, an inlet for nitrogen gas and an inlet for a dropping funnel.
Solvent ISOPAR K.RTM. Was charged to the reaction vessel and the mixture was stirred using a variable speed mechanical stirrer. The mixture in the reaction vessel was heated to a reaction temperature of approximately 120 ° C. under a nitrogen atmosphere. Take a sample of the mixture and remove P from the sample.
The concentration of CB was determined to be 290 mg / kg (equal to 490 mg / kg in the feed). 20 g of sodium dispersion (20 wt% sodium in insulating oil) was added to the mixture and allowed to react with the mixture while maintaining the temperature of the mixture close to 120 ° C. Approximately 30 minutes after the addition of the sodium dispersion and also after 80 minutes another sample of the mixture was taken and it was determined that the concentration of PCB in each case was below the detection limit. The mixture was then cooled and 11 g of water was added to the mixture to hydrolyze residual sodium below 100 ° C.

EXAMPLE 2 A PCB-contaminated condenser ballast from a fluorescent ballast was separated from the other parts and the above was repeated until the average particle size of the condenser coil was less than 1/2 "in size. 30 g of milled condenser roll and 550 g of solvent ISOPAR K®.
Was placed in a 750 mL glass reaction vessel equipped with a water cooled condenser, an inlet for nitrogen gas and an inlet for a dropping funnel, and the mixture was stirred using a variable speed mechanical stirrer. The mixture in the reaction vessel was heated to a reaction temperature of approximately 170 ° C. under a nitrogen atmosphere. A sample of the mixture was removed and the concentration of PCB in the sample was determined to be 9,660 mg / kg (equal to 17.9% PCB in feed). 30 g
Of sodium dispersion (20 wt% sodium in insulating oil) was added to the mixture and allowed to react with the mixture while maintaining the temperature of the mixture near 170 ° C. Another sample of the mixture was taken approximately 30 minutes and also 90 minutes after the addition of the sodium dispersion and determined that the concentration of PCB in each case was below the detection limit. The mixture was then cooled and below 100 ° C. 11 g of water was added to the mixture.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the potting material and the internal electrical components from the fluorescent ballast can be simultaneously ground to the desired particle size and processed together. The ground potting material and electronic components can then be loaded into a reaction vessel to which the solvent is added and the same general steps as described above can be performed.

Example 3 8 having an average particle size of less than 1/2 "in size
0 g of ground potting material and 20 g of ground condenser winding were placed in a 750 mL glass reaction vessel equipped with a cooling condenser, an inlet for nitrogen gas and an inlet for a dropping funnel. 390 g of solvent VARSOL® was charged to the reaction vessel and the mixture was stirred using a variable speed mechanical stirrer. The temperature of the mixture was raised to a reaction temperature of approximately 170 ° C. under a nitrogen atmosphere for a period of approximately 50 minutes. Take a sample of the mixture and put the PCB in the sample
Was determined to be 14,400 mg / kg (equal to 6.5% of PCB in the feed). 10 g of a sodium dispersion (40% sodium in insulating oil) in 10 g of VARSOL® solvent was added to the mixture and allowed to react with the mixture while maintaining the temperature of the mixture near 170 ° C. A sample of the mixture was removed approximately 5 minutes after addition of the sodium dispersion and the concentration of PCB in the sample was 1,9.
It was determined to be 10 mg / kg. Another sample of the mixture was removed approximately 15 minutes after addition of the sodium dispersion,
The concentration of PCB in the sample was determined to be 78 mg / kg. Another sample of the mixture was removed approximately 90 minutes after the addition of the sodium dispersion and the concentration of PCB in the sample was determined to be below the limit of detection. Then the mixture is cooled,
Below 100 ° C., 3 g of water was added to the mixture.

Example 4 8 having an average particle size of less than 1/2 "in size
0 g of ground potting material and 20 g of ground condenser winding were placed in a 500 mL glass reaction vessel equipped with a water cooled condenser, an inlet for nitrogen gas and an inlet for a dropping funnel. 390 g of solvent ISOPAR K
(Registered trademark) was placed in a reaction vessel, and the mixture was stirred using a variable speed mechanical stirrer. The temperature of the mixture was raised to a reaction temperature of approximately 160 ° C. under a nitrogen atmosphere for 30 minutes. A sample of the mixture was removed and the concentration of PCB in the sample was determined to be approximately 14,400 mg / kg (equivalent to 6.5% PCB in the feed). 10 g of sodium dispersion (40% sodium in insulating oil) in 10 g of VARSOL® solvent was added to the mixture and the temperature of the mixture was slightly raised to 170 ° C. and reacted with the mixture while maintaining that level. Let Another sample of the mixture was taken approximately 30 minutes and also 60 minutes after the addition of the sodium dispersion, in each case P
It was determined that the concentration of CB was below the detection limit. The mixture was then cooled and below 100 ° C., 3 g of water was added to the mixture.

Example 5 8 having an average particle size of less than 1/2 "in size
0 g of ground potting material and 20 g of ground condenser winding were placed in a 750 mL glass reaction vessel equipped with a water cooled condenser, an inlet for nitrogen gas and an inlet for a dropping funnel. 390 g of solvent ISOPAR K
(Registered trademark) was placed in a reaction vessel, and the mixture was stirred using a variable speed mechanical stirrer. The temperature of the mixture was raised to a reaction temperature of approximately 170 ° C. under a nitrogen atmosphere. The sample of the mixture was taken out, and the concentration of PCB in the sample was approximately 14,300 m
It was determined to be g / kg (equal to 6.5% of PCB in the feed). 10 g of sodium dispersion (40% sodium in insulating oil) in 10 g of ISOPAR K® solvent was added to the mixture and allowed to react with the mixture while maintaining the temperature of the mixture at the reaction temperature. Approximately 30 minutes and also 60 minutes after the addition of the sodium dispersion, another sample of the mixture was taken and in each case PC
It was determined that the concentration of B was below the detection limit. The mixture was then allowed to cool and below 100 ° C. 3 g of water was added to the mixture.

Although various aspects of the invention are disclosed herein, many adaptations and modifications can be made within the scope of the invention by the common general knowledge of those skilled in the art. Such modifications also include known equivalent substitutions for either aspect of the invention to achieve the same result in substantially the same manner. Numerical ranges include the numbers that define the range. In the description, "include, comprises,
The word "comprising"
Used as an open-ended term, it is substantially equivalent to the phrase “including, but not limited to,” “comprising, comprising, compr.
The word “ise)” has a corresponding meaning. Citation of a reference herein is not to be construed as an admission that the reference is prior art to the present invention. All publications, including but not limited to patents and patent applications, cited in this specification are shown to be specifically incorporated by reference into each individual publication individually. As hereto, and as if fully set forth herein, it is incorporated herein by reference. The invention includes all aspects and variations substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to examples.

Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ identification code FI theme code (reference) C07C 25/18 B09B 3/00 304Z (72) Inventor Keith Shaklap Lee Canada, British Columbia V5 1 Sea 5, Vancouver, Fifty Seventh Avenue-2778 (72) Inventor Nikola Dominelli Canada, British Columbia Buoy 3K 5ES 7, Coquitlam, Selman Street 433 (72) Inventor Ian Gordon Norman Wiley Canada, British Columbia Buoy 2S / 2W, Abbott Ford, Moray Avenue 33625F Term (Reference) 2E191 BA13 BB00 BC01 BD11 4D004 AA22 AB06 CA05 CA22 CA37 CA41 CC04 CC11 4D076 AA12 AA22 FA02 FA12 FA23 FA24 HA03 4H006 AA05 AC13 AC26 BB11 BE21 EA22

Claims (23)

[Claims] 1. A step of a) mixing an asphalt waste containing an organic halide with a solvent to form a waste-solvent mixture, b) heating the waste-solvent mixture to a dissolution temperature for a dissolution time, and asphalt The organic waste is dissolved in the solvent and thus the organic halide is liberated from the asphalt waste to form a heated waste-solvent mixture, c) reacting with the heated waste-solvent mixture. An asphalt waste comprising the steps of adding a decomposition reactant at reaction temperature over time to produce substantially a treated waste-solvent mixture in which the organic halide has substantially reacted with the decomposition reactant to decompose the organic halide. Method for decomposing organic halides in water. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the organic halide is PCB. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the solvent is a hydrocarbon solvent. 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the solvent is a hydrocarbon solvent. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactant is an alkali metal. 6. The method of claim 2 wherein the reactant is an alkali metal. 7. The method of claim 3 wherein the reactant is an alkali metal. 8. The method of claim 4, wherein the reactant is an alkali metal. 9. A solid asphalt waste comprising an organic halide to provide an asphalt waste comprising an organic halide for treatment, wherein the asphalt waste is a solid asphalt waste having a melting temperature. A process according to claim 1, comprising a first step of crushing, wherein the step of crushing is carried out at a crushing temperature below the melting temperature of the solid asphalt waste. 10. Waste treated to make recyclable solvent substantially free of asphalt.
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of distilling the solvent mixture to separate the solvent from the asphalt waste. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising reusing a recyclable solvent as the solvent in the step of mixing the asphaltic waste with the solvent to make a waste-solvent mixture. 12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the alkali metal is sodium. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the asphalt waste is a potting material. 14. The method of claim 1 wherein the organic halide has an organic halide boiling point and the melting and reaction temperatures are below the organic halide boiling point. 15. The method further comprising adding a hydrolysis reactant to the treated waste-solvent mixture to hydrolyze excess alkali metal remaining in the treated waste-solvent mixture. 12. The method according to 12. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the hydrolysis reactant is water.
The method described. 17. The method according to claim 8, wherein the alkali metal is an alkali metal dispersion in an alkali metal solvent. 18. The method of claim 13, wherein the potting material encapsulates the electrical component and the electrical component is treated with the potting material in the method of the present invention. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the electrical component is a capacitor. 20. a) mixing the asphaltic potting material waste containing PCB with a hydrocarbon solvent to form a waste-solvent mixture; b) bringing the waste-solvent mixture to a melting temperature over the melting time. Heating, the asphalt potting material waste is dissolved in a hydrocarbon solvent, so that the PCB forms a heated waste-solvent mixture liberated from the asphalt potting material waste, c) said heating To the waste-solvent mixture formed, sodium metal decomposition reactant is added at reaction temperature over the reaction time,
A method of decomposing PCBs in asphalt potting material waste comprising the step of producing a treated waste-solvent mixture in which the PCB has reacted substantially all with sodium metal decomposition reactants to decompose the PCB. 21. A) means for mixing an asfast waste containing an organic halide with a solvent to form a waste-solvent mixture, b) heating the waste-solvent mixture to a dissolution temperature for a dissolution time, Means for making a heated waste-solvent mixture in which the asphalt waste is dissolved in the solvent and thus the organic halide is liberated from the asphalt waste; c) in the heated waste-solvent mixture, Asphalt waste comprising means for adding a decomposition reactant over the reaction time at the reaction temperature to cause the organic halide to substantially all react with the decomposition reactant to decompose the organic halide and produce a treated waste-solvent mixture. An apparatus for carrying out a method for decomposing organic halides in an object. 22. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of adding a hydrogen donor or promoter to the heated waste-solvent mixture when the decomposition reactant is added to the heated waste-solvent mixture. 21. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17 and 20. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the hydrogen donor or promoter is selected from the group consisting of water, alcohols and acids.