Sri International

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

The United States of America as Represented by the United States

David S Ross

Indira S Jayaweera

Robert J Schmitt

Roald N Leif

Jeffrey C Bottaro

Paul E Penwell

Robert M Johnson, Jr

Ripudaman Malhotra

Richard Van Carr

David C Bomberger

Bernard A Toseland

James F Wolfe

Georgina P Hum

Lien Nguyen

Werner R Haag

James E Blessing

A process for hot or supercritical water oxidative decomposition of wastes, particularly halogenated organic compounds, is described. The process employs a heterogeneous reagent which accelerates the decomposition and is effective to neutralize acidic byproducts. The reagent is maintained in suspension throughout the reaction by operating at conditions of temperature and pressure at which the heterogeneous reagent is largely or fully insoluble in water, and preferably at which liquid water is not present. Production of potentially corrosive brine is also minimized by operating at conditions under which sodium chloride is insoluble.

Hydrothermal oxidation of organic compounds with heterogenous

This invention relates to a process for the decomposition of material selected from the group consisting of organic compounds, inorganic compounds, or combinations thereof to compounds which are environmentally acceptable, or are amenable to further degradation by conventional disposal systems to produce environmentally acceptable products, which process comprises: (a) conveying an aqueous solution or an aqueous slurry of material into a reaction zone capable of withstanding the temperatures and pressures of decomposition of the material; (b) contacting the material in the reaction zone with aqueous sodium carbonate as a reactant in an amount effective to decompose the material under hot water or supercritical water oxidation conditions of between about 300.degree. and 600.degree. C. and a pressure of between about 20 and 400 atmospheres for between 0.1 and 120 min, wherein the sodium carbonate at the reaction conditions is present at about 10% or less as a water soluble salt as compared to the solubility of the salt at ambient conditions, wherein the process occurs in the presence of a gaseous oxidant present in an amount of between about 0.1 and 50% by weight of the material; (c) producing about 99% or greater of the decomposition of the material, or 99% or greater conversion of the material to compounds which are environmentally acceptable or to compounds which are amendable to further degradation; and (d) optionally degrading further the compounds produced in step (c) by reaction to environmentally acceptable products. Preferably, the specific reactant is sodium carbonate and the oxidant is oxygen or air.

Method for hot and supercritical water oxidation of material with

This invention relates to a process for the decomposition of material selected from halogenated organic compounds, to compounds which are environmentally acceptable, or are amenable to further degradation by conventional disposal systems to produce environmentally acceptable products, which process comprises: (a) conveying an aqueous solution or an aqueous slurry of material into a reaction zone capable of withstanding the temperatures and pressures of decomposition of the material; (b)contacting the material in the reaction zone with aqueous sodium carbonate as a reactant in an amount effective to decompose the material under hydrothermal oxidation conditions of between about 300.degree. and 400.degree. C. and a pressure of between about 20 and 400 atmospheres for between 0.01 and 120 min wherein the sodium carbonate at the reaction conditions is present at about 10% or less as a water soluble salt as compared to the solubility of the salt at ambient conditions, wherein the process occurs in the presence of a gaseous oxidant wherein said oxidant is present in an amount of between about 0.01 and 50% by weight of the material; (c) producing about 99% or greater of the decomposition of the material, or 99% or greater conversion of the material to compounds which are environmentally acceptable or to compounds which are amendable to further degradation; and (d) optionally degrading further the compounds produced in step (c) by reaction to environmentally acceptable products. Preferably, the specific reactant is sodium carbonate and the oxidant is oxygen or air. Preferably, the halogenated organic compound is selected from polychlorobiphenyl, polybromobiphenyl or chlorobenzodioxin compounds.

Method for hydrothermal oxidation of halogenated organic compounds with

The present invention relates to a process for the disposal of waste or the conversion of hydrothermally labile chemical groups and compounds to species which are environmentally acceptable, or are amendable to further degradation by conventional disposal systems to produce environmentally acceptable products, which process comprises:

Environmentally acceptable waste disposal by hydrothermal decomposition

Environmentally acceptable waste disposal by conversion of

A N,N-dinitramide salt is disclosed having the formula MN(NO.sub.2).sub.2 where M is a cation selected from the class consisting of a metal ion and a nitrogen-containing ion. The dinitramide salt exhibits high temperature stability, high energy density, and an absence of smoke generating halogens, rendering it useful as an oxidizer in rocket fuels. The dinitramide salts are meltable and pumpable oxidizers which may be used in start-stop rocket engines instead of other less stable oxidizers.

Dinitramide salts and method of making same

A method is disclosed for forming a N,N-dinitramide salt having the formula MN(NO.sub.2).sub.2 where M is a cation selected form the class consisting of a metal ion and a nitrogen-containing ion, which comprises contacting a carbamate with a nitrating agent to form an acidic dinitramide intermediate reaction product, and neutralizing the acidic dinitramide with a compound selected from the class consisting of ammonia (NH.sub.3), hydrazine (N.sub.2 H.sub.4), a primary amine having the formula RNH.sub.2, a secondary amine having the formula RR'NH, and a salt having the formula AX; where R and R' are the same or different 1-6 carbon alkyls, A is a metal ion or a nitrogen-containing ion, and X is an anion selected from the class consisting of fluoride, chloride, hydroxyl, carbonate, alkoxide, and carboxyl anion, to form the corresponding dinitramide salt.

Method of forming dinitramide salts

A method of nitrating resorcinol which is selective for the production of the 4,6-dinitro resorcinal isomer. A resorcinol-based starting material is admixed with a nitrating solution from which substantially all nitrogen dioxide and nitrous has been removed. The nitrating solution contains white fuming nitric acid, a nitrosonium ion control agent such as urea, and, optionally, concentrated sulfuric acid. The 4,6-dinitroresorcinal isomer is provided in yields of about 65-85% with minimal production of undesirable side products.

Process for preparing 4,6-dinitroresorcinol

This invention pertains to a process for extracting a nitroaromatic composition from a nitration medium containing nitric acid, water, and nitroaromatic. The process comprises contacting the nitration medium with nitric oxide under conditions such that the nitric oxide will react with the nitric acid to form nitrogen dioxide and water. Gaseous nitrogen dioxide is removed from the reaction medium and accordingly, the dissolved nitroaromatic present in the nitration medium separates to form an organic phase which then can be removed by decantation. Typically, one mole of nitric oxide is added to the nitration medium for every two moles of nitric acid present in said medium. Reaction conditions normally are from about 0.degree. to 90.degree. C.

Process for separating nitroaromatic compounds from spent nitric acid

Aromatic hydrocarbons are nitrated by reacting the aromatic hydrocarbon in a nitrogen tetroxide-containing liquid reaction medium, in the presence of a beta-dicarbonyl compound having a 'W' configuration with a carbonyl group at each apex of the 'W', preferably at a pressure and temperature sufficient to maintain the nitrogen tetroxide in the liquid state. Addition of an inert organic co-solvent to the liquid nitrogen tetroxide for the metal acetylacetonate promoted nitration of benzene essentially eliminates the production of dinitrobenzenes.

Beta-dicarbonyl compounds for the promotion of aromatic nitration by

Aromatic hydrocarbons are nitrated by reacting the aromatic hydrocarbon in a nitrogen tetroxide-containing liquid reaction medium, in the presence of a beta-dicarbonyl compound having a 'W' configuration with a carbonyl group at each apex of the 'W', such as a metal acetylacetonate, preferably at a pressure and temperature sufficient to maintain the nitrogen tetroxide in the liquid state. Addition of an inert organic co-solvent to the liquid nitrogen tetroxide for the metal acetylacetonate promoted nitration of benzene essentially eliminates the production of dinitrobenzenes.

Solvent modification of nitrations by N.sub.2 O.sub.4 /metal

A method for the hydroconversion of coal by solvent treatment at elevated temperatures and pressure wherein an alcohol having an .alpha.-hydrogen atom, particularly a secondary alcohol such as isopropanol, is utilized as a hydrogen donor solvent. In a particular embodiment, a base capable of providing a catalytically effective amount of the corresponding alcoholate anion under the solvent treatment conditions is added to catalyze the alcohol-coal reaction.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

David S Ross