Closed loop system and process for conversion of gaseous or vaporizable

Abstract

Closed system and process for the conversion of gaseous or vaporizable organic and/or organo-metallic compound to inert solid which is resistant to solvent extraction, and is itself essentially nontoxic or convertible through oxidation or other natural processes to a toxic material. This process involves a low temperature, low energy conversion in a close system, of an organic and/or organo-metallic material by initially fragmenting such material into its basic elements follow thereafter by randomly recombining such elements as a solid coating or deposit upon a substrate. In the preferred embodiments of this invention, the toxic and/or potentially toxic material is injected as a gaseous phase into a chamber where it is subjected to an RF energy source, thereby forming a plasma which is contained within the chamber by a magnetic field. The chamber, as well as, the other components of the conversion system are maintained under a negative pressure which allows for the transport of the plasma throughout the system to a second chamber where the elements of the plasma can recombine in a random fashion. The recombination of these elements as a solid allows for ease of handling and prevents their release into the atmosphere or ground water. Compounds which can be subjected to this process include chlorinatehydrocarbons i.e., methylenechloride, carbontetrachloride and chlorofluorocarbons (i.e., Freons).