Supercritical hydrothermal degradation of hazardous organic wastes with a view to utilizing the potential energy of gaseous products

Abstract

The method of supercritical hydrothermal degradation was applied to neutralize hazardous organic-containing substances and persistent organic pollutants (polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, wastewater, and agro-industrial waste) in the autothermal and allothermic modes. It has been established that the realizable modes of supercritical hydrothermal oxidation and pyrolysis provide a degree of decomposition of the investigated organic-containing waste not less than 99.5%, accompanied by the formation of a high-enthalpy steam−gas mixture or combustible gases. The possibility of utilization of the potential energy of gaseous reaction products on a specially designed experimental setup with a multi-tubular spiral-type reactor, which is a part of an autonomous energy complex for generating heat and electric power, is examined.