Abstract: Refrigerants, such as Freon.RTM. 12 and other potential ozone depleting substances will be in short supply as their production is phased out, and until existing refrigeration equipment is retrofitted to receive more environmentally friendly refrigerants. Existing supplies of such refrigerants when contaminated with other refrigerants especially hydrofluoroalkanes like Freon 22 can form azeotropes, which are not readily separated by conventional distillation methods, are selectively decomposed in-situ by reacting with aqueous solutions of metal hydroxides or other bases. The remaining non-reacted refrigerant-containing composition is readily recycled by separation and recovery methods from the reaction mixture to provide a reusable refrigerant composition virtually free of contaminating refrigerant.

Abstract: Solid and liquid substrates, such as soil and solvents having radioactive metals or hazardous non-radioactive metals are decontaminated with the aid of cyanide ion generated in-situ to form co-ordination compounds with the unwanted metal contaminants. Cyanides are prepared by introducing into an ammoniacal liquid-containing slurry of a contaminated soil, or other solid or liquid substrate, a refrigerant compound, such as a hydrochlorofluorocarbon which produces ammonium cyanide, which in-turn forms a complex with the hazardous metal contaminant for separation with the ammoniacal liquid. The process may also utilize solvated electrons to at least partially dehalogenate a perhalogenated refrigerant like diclorodifluoromethane (R-12). Process avoids exposure to potentially hazardous cyanides through in-situ generation, while simultaneously destroying unwanted refrigerants which are potentially harmful to Earth's ozone layer.

Abstract: Refrigerants, such as Freon.RTM. 12 and other potential ozone depleting substances will be in short supply as their production is phased out, and until existing refrigeration equipment is retrofitted to receive more environmentally friendly refrigerants. Existing supplies of such refrigerants when contaminated with other refrigerants especially chlorofluorohydrocarbons like Freon 22 form azeotropes, which are not readily separated by conventional distillation methods, are selectively decomposed in-situ by reacting with bases such as metal hydroxides in aqueous solutions or compatible organic solvents. The remaining non-reacted refrigerant-containing composition is readily recycled by separation and recovery methods from the reaction mixture to provide a reusable refrigerant composition practically free of contaminating refrigerant.

Abstract: Ozone depleting fluorocarbon compounds are dehalogenated through more economic reduction reaction with solvated electrons formed from lower equivalents of reactive metals than previously used by reacting the partial reduction products with nitrogen-containing bases, such as ammonia, or alternatively, without any reactive metal by reacting with the base alone. Mixtures of fluorocarbon refrigerants including difficult to separate azeotropes of dichlorodifluoromethane contaminated with chlorodifluoromethane are reclaimed by treating only with weak non-aqueous nitrogen-containing bases to provide essentially chemically pure dichlorodifluoromethane refrigerant suitable for recycling/reuse. Hazardous cyanides which may develop are converted to relatively benign products during the process by introducing a base to convert volatile cyanides to more stable salts which in turn are converted to useful compounds of lesser toxicity.

Abstract: Ozone depleting fluorocarbon compounds are dehalogenated through more economic reduction reaction with solvated electrons formed from lower equivalents of reactive metals than previously used by reacting the partial reduction products with non-aqueous liquid nitrogen-containing bases, such as ammonia, or alternatively, without any reactive metal by reacting with the base alone. Mixtures of fluorocarbon refrigerants including difficult to separate azeotropes of dichlorodifluoromethane contaminated with chlorodifluoromethane are reclaimed by treating only with weak non-aqueous nitrogen-containing bases to provide essentially chemically pure dichlorodifluoromethane refrigerant suitable for recycling/reuse.

Abstract: Soil including sand and clays contaminated with elemental mercury are decontaminated by forming slurries with anhydrous liquid ammonia. An ammoniacal liquid, such as anhydrous liquid ammonia facilitates decontamination by breaking up soil into fine slurries for releasing droplets of mercury metal. The high density of the mercury metal permits precipitation with larger soil particles and for recovery from soil particulates. Contaminated soils having mixed wastes comprising metallic mercury with organic compounds like PCBs are decontaminated first by slurring with anhydrous liquid ammonia to release droplets of mercury for coalescing and recovery. Solvated electrons are formed in the slurry in-situ by treating the slurry with an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal to reduce or degrade toxic organic compounds to more environmentally benign substances.

Abstract: Improved methods for purification and recovery of individual refrigerants from refrigerant mixtures without chemical destruction of the contaminating refrigerant. Aqueous solutions are employed in extraction methods by relying on differences in water solubilities and partition coefficients at ambient temperatures. All refrigerants can be recovered and the aqueous solutions reused to form a cyclic process. Methods include countercurrent extraction.

Abstract: Soil including sand and clays contaminated with nuclear waste materials are decontaminated by treating with anhydrous liquid ammonia alone or in combination with solvated electrons. Methods comprise concentrating radionuclides, such as plutonium and uranium in the fines of soil and clay to yield residual soil products which are sufficiently free of contaminants to allow reclamation. Economics are improved over aqueous systems since ammonia can be recovered and recycled. By concentrating nuclear wastes in soil fines space requirements ordinarily needed for storage of untreated soil and handling costs can be significantly reduced.