Standard Oil Company (Indiana)

Chemical Waste Management, Inc.

James F Grutsch

Russell C Mallatt

Joe D Walk

Edward G Fochtman

Carl P Swanstrom

George A Mortimer

Albert G Plys

Milton Ader

Peter S Daley

Benjamin F Steely

Alan Y Li

Kevin P O'Leary

A process is presented for the treatment of wastewater containing non-volatile pollutants and volatile chemically oxidizable organic and inorganic pollutants. The process combines efficient evaporation to concentrate the non-volatile compounds and a catalytic oxidation reaction to convert the volatilized organic and inorganic pollutants. A condensate product may be obtained by treating wastewater according to the inventive process that is of distilled water quality and substantially free of minerals and organics.

Process for the catalytic treatment of wastewater

An improved powdered adsorbent enhanced sludge process for the treatment of wastewater is disclosed that allows for in situ recovery of unregenerated powdered adsorbent. In situ recovery is performed by contacting a mixture of activated sludge and spent powdered adsorbent at disassociation conditions whereby cell lysis occurs. The cell lysis allows for physical separation of the spent powdered adsorbent from the activated sludge, thus allowing for recycle of adsorbent without the need for a regeneration process.

Activated sludge process with in situ recovery of powdered adsorbent

A method for economically separating chemical contaminants such as volatile organic chemicals (VOC's) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's), even if the contaminants are present at low concentrations, from inert materials such as soils or sludges, comprising subjecting inert materials contaminated with chemical compounds to a temperature effective to volatilize the contaminants but below incineration temperature, with continuous removal of evolved vapors, for a period of time sufficient to effect the desire degree of separation of contaminants. The evolved vapors may be subjected to catalytic oxidation to destroy the volatilized chemical compounds.

Process and apparatus for separating organic contaminants from

Disclosed is a process for treating waste water through the use of activated carbon. The carbon is generally added to waste water having a pH from about 4 to about 11, and is commonly added after the waste water has undergone primary treatment. Preferred modes of operation comprise using low concentrations of activated carbon having a high surface area and a zeta potential greater than about -10 millivolts. It is also preferred to use activated carbon in conjunction with an activated sludge process having an average sludge age greater than about ten days, especially where the waste water undergoes a pretreatment prior to the activated sludge process to reduce chemical oxygen demand, oil and solids content. Low concentrations of activated carbon based on feed waste water are generally used while maintaining substantially higher carbon concentrations in the process.

Use of activated carbon in waste water treating process

Disclosed is a process for the treatment of water so as to produce water of high purity, such as potable water. The process also entails the treatment of water which may have received prior water treatment, and comprises adding an effective amount of chemical flocculant to the feed water and subjecting said water to flocculation; passing the flocculated water to a clarifier where suspended solids are separated from the partially purified water; adding about 1 to about 100 parts powdered activated carbon per million parts of water from the clarifier; contacting the water with said carbon in a reaction zone so as to achieve substantial reduction of contaminants in the water; separating the activated carbon from the purified water; and recycling a portion of the separated activated carbon to the clarifier effluent.

Process for the purification of water

Disclosed is a waste water process for the treatment of strong wastes. Generally the process comprises an activated sludge process for the purification of waste water comprising: feeding the waste water to a first aeration zone wherein oxygen is introduced into the waste water, and said waste water is contacted with activated sludge; passing the effluent from the first aeration zone to a first clarification zone where the water from the first aeration zone is clarified to separate suspended sludge particles from partially decontaminated water; recycling a portion of the separated sludge from the first clarification zone to the first aeration zone and passing the partially decontaminated water from the first clarification zone to a second aeration zone; adding about 5 to about 500 ppm powdered activated carbon to the partially decontaminated water from the first clarification zone; oxygenating the partially decontaminated water containing carbon in a second aeration zone wherein oxygen or air is introduced into the partially decontaminated water; passing the effluent from the second aeration zone to a second clarification zone where the water from the second aeration zone is clarified to separate suspended sludge and carbon particles from decontaminated water; and recycling a portion of the separated sludge and carbon from the second clarification zone to the second aeration zone and passing decontaminated water out of the second clarification zone. Preferably said first aeration zone comprises a multiple stage aeration zone wherein waste water is aerated to introduce oxygen into the waste water in a first stage and the effluent from the first stage is aerated in one or more stages downstream of said first stage.

Waste water process for treatment of strong wastes

Disclosed is an improved process for the treatment and purification of waste water. Generally the process comprises the use of primary, intermediate, and secondary treatment but tertiary treatment may also be included. Powdered activated carbon is used in the secondary treatment with recycle to any or all of the primary, intermediate or secondary treatment stages. Regeneration of used powdered activated carbon is also provided. In some cases, the improved process for the purification of waste water comprises feeding the waste water to a first clarification zone wherein easily removable solids are separated from the water; passing the effluent from the first clarification zone to a filtration or air flotation zone wherein suspended solids and colloidal matter are separated from the water; passing the effluent from the filtration or air flotation zone to an aeration zone wherein the water is contacted with activated sludge and powdered activated carbon, and oxygen is introduced into the water-sludge-carbon mixture; passing the effluent from the aeration zone to a second clarification zone wherein purified water is separated from the sludge and carbon; recycling a first portion of the separated sludge and carbon from the second clarification zone to the filtration zone effluent; recycling a second part of the separated sludge and carbon from the second clarification zone to the first clarification zone effluent; and passing purified water from the second clarification zone.

Waste water purification

This application is directed to the regeneration of fixed bed granular media filters used for the clarification of liquids, after said filters have become unsuitable or inefficient due to the occlusion of oily substances. One such regeneration method comprises the steps of: backwashing the filter, draining the filter, contacting the filter with an aqueous alkali solution composed of sodium hydroxide dissolved in demineralized water, said solution having a pH value of about 10.5 or greater, at a temperature ranging from about ambient to about 200.degree. F, for a time sufficient to regenerate the filter, and backwashing the filter. Generally, the alkali solution comprises about 0.1 to about 50 weight percent aqueous sodium hydroxide and the contacting is conducted for a period of about 0.1 to about 10 hours.

Regeneration of fixed bed filters

Disclosed is a continuous process for purifying contaminated waste water. First the water passes through an equalization zone including at least two separate compartments, in one of which the pH of the water is adjusted to a range of from about 6.5 to 9.5. The water flows through the separate compartments such that the concentration of contaminants in the water exiting the equalization zone will approach about constant concentration which changes only gradually even though influent contaminant concentration changes rapidly. Water in at least one compartment of the equalization zone is aerated so that the dissolved oxygen in the water is at least three parts of dissolved oxygen per million parts of water. Solids are skimmed from the surface of the water in the zone, and coagulant is added to the effluent water from the equalization zone so that colloidal particles in the water flocculate. The water from this equalization zone is then filtered to remove flocculated particles. The effluent from the filter will preferably have less than about ten parts of suspended solids per million parts of water and/or less than about ten parts of oil and grease per million parts of water. This effluent is aerated, preferably by aspiration, and is treated in a four stage biological treating zone. In the first stage, the water contacts an activated sludge which decontaminates the water by biodegrading contaminants. In the second stage, water from the first stage is clarified to separate suspended sludge particles from decontaminated water. The bulk of the separated sludge particles is recycled to the first stage, and the bulk of the clarified, decontaminated water is withdrawn. In the third stage, that portion of the separated sludge particles not recycled is concentrated by removing additional residual water. In the fourth stage, the concentrated sludge particles are digested. In accordance with an important feature of our invention, the water-sludge mix as it flows between the first and second stages is aerated by aspirating air into the water-sludge mix and then subjecting this mix to a high hydrostatic pressure. Preferably the sludge flowing between the second, third and fourth stages is also aerated. The water separated from the second stage is filtered to remove any minute suspended sludge particles which may be present. The preferred filter medium is sand or combinations of sand and coal, and may be followed by treatment with activated carbon. Interstage aeration is conducted at pressures above atmospheric. This ensures substantial transfer of oxygen to the water. Also, activated sludge from the third and fourth stages may be recycled to the activated sludge-water mixture that exited the first stage. The average age of the sludge in the system is greater than ten days. The dissolved oxygen concentration in the water flowing into the second stage clarifier is at least about five parts of dissolved oxygen per million parts of water.

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Hammond, IN, United States of America

James F Grutsch