Stepan Company

Donald E Oulman

Aaron Brown

Terry Applebury

Dennis Smith

Matthew V Vollmer

Doug Gustafson

A method of degrading 1,4-dioxane in the wastewater produced during the manufacture of alkyl ether sulfates is disclosed. The method includes the steps of (a) mixing from 100 to 10,000 ppm, preferably 1,000 to 4,000 ppm of ozone with the wastewater; (b) introducing HOinto the wastewater in an amount of 0.01 to 10, preferably 0.1 to 0.5 molar equivalents of HOto ozone, and (c) mixing the ozone, HO, and wastewater to generate hydroxyl radicals reactive with the 1,4-dioxane, without the addition of a metal catalyst. The hydroxyl radicals react with the 1,4-dioxane and degrade it into carbon dioxide, water and/or carbonate. The method is effective to reduce a concentration of 1,4-dioxane in the wastewater from a range of about 10 ppm to about 1000 ppm of dioxane down to less than 5 ppb of 1,4-dioxane after treatment. The method is also effective for removing hydrocarbon species that may be present in the wastewater.

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Durham, NC, United States of America

Donald E Oulman