Abstract: Methodology for formulating sodium bicarbonate and potassium sulfate. In one embodiment, sodium sulfate and ammonium bicarbonate are reacted to form sodium bicarbonate with the remaining liquor or brine treated with sulfuric acid to remove carbonates with subsequent precipitation of potassium sulfate. A further embodiment employs ammonium bicarbonate, ammonia gas or carbon dioxide to precipitate sodium bicarbonate. The result of the methods is the production of high quality fertilizer and food grade sodium bicarbonate.

Abstract: A new process for producing calcium chloride and other metal halides from the carbonates, bicarbonates, oxides of these metals. The process utilizes the discovery that hydrogen halides, when used in a true or conventional fluidizing medium in shallow beds of the aforementioned solids at moderately elevated temperatures in a continuous counter current process results in the conversion of the metal carbonates, bicarbonates, and oxides, into metal halides and carbon dioxide gas and/or water vapor. The process is carried out in a series of true or conventional fluidized beds preferable but not necessarily arranged in a vertical configuration so that the solids flow downward due to the fluidized process and the hydrogen halides flow counter currently in an upward direction producing metal halides at the bottom and pure carbon dioxide gas and/or water vapor at the top.

Abstract: A method for remediating non-homogeneous radioactive waste to significantly reduce the waste mass/volume and to convert such waste to products that meet federal regulatory compliance standards is disclosed. High level waste (HLW) stored in underground tanks is typically a multi component mixture. After removal of the waste from the tanks or other storage areas the waste is isolated in a thermal desorption-type reaction vessel where the waste is pyrolized at pre-determined and carefully controlled temperatures, pressures, and atmospheres. This process eliminates organics, volatile metals, moisture and other low boiling temperature/high vapor pressure components and converts non-volatile waste to more stable metal oxides. Off-gas treatment systems scrub, treat and dispose of all off-gas components. A thermal desorption-type apparatus especially well suited for performing the method of the present invention is also disclosed.

Abstract: A process for the decomposition of perfluoroalkanes comprises contacting a gaseous stream comprising the perfluoroalkanes with a catalyst comprising alumina. The alumina is prepared from one or more alumina sources, one of which is aluminum nitrate. The catalyst preferably comprises stabilizing agent, in particular zirconium oxide or cobalt, preferably both. The catalyst is prepared by forming a slurry of aluminum nitrate, optionally with one or more additional sources of alumina, in a suitable solvent, such as water. The resulting mixture is dried and calcined to yield the finished catalyst. The stabilizing agent or a precursor thereof may be included in the mixture or impregnated into the finished catalyst.

Abstract: The invention provides lignin-degradable fungi capable of degrading dioxins that have accumulated in the soil for farm crops, into harmless substances; a method for degrading dioxins by applying the fungi to a dioxin-containing object to such a degree that the cell concentration in the object reaches at least 1×102 cfu per gram of the object; compost containing the fungi; a method for producing compost that comprises a step of thermally fermenting a lignin-containing, plant-derived organic material to be compost, at a temperature falling between 65 and 100° C. for at least 2 hours, followed by inoculating the thus-fermented material with lignin degrading enzymes-producing fungi and further fermenting it; and a method of using the compost for cultivating plants.

Abstract: A boiling water reactor is chemically decontaminated by circulating a decontamination solution through reactor recirculation loops and the annulus region of a reactor pressure vessel that surrounds the central core region while bypassing the central core region. The decontamination solution may also be circulated between the annulus region and a lower internals region while bypassing the central core region. The solution dissolves or breaks down metal oxide layers on the surfaces of the boiling water reactor. The metal oxide layers in the central core region and the activated metal ions contained in these layers, which do not substantially contribute to personnel exposure, are not released and, therefore, do not need to be removed from the solution.

Abstract: A method of processing spent aluminum pot liner containing carbon, cyanide compositions, fluorides and inorganic oxides. The spent aluminum pot liner is crushed iron oxide is added to form an agglomerated material. The agglomerated material is melted in an electric arc furnace having the electrodes submerged in the molten material to provide a reducing environment during the furnace operation. In the reducing environment, pot liner is oxidized while the iron oxides are reduced to produce iron and a slag substantially free of cyanide compositions and fluorides. An off-gas including carbon oxides and fluorine is treated in an air pollution control system with an afterburner and a scrubber to produce NaF, water and a gas vented to the atmosphere free of cyanide compositions, fluorine and CO.

Abstract: A chemical munition hydrolysate treatment system pretreats agent hydrolysate with irradiation in the presence of an oxidant and processes the pre-treated chemical agent and energetic materials through a series of treatment processes until a preselected level of destruction is achieved. The treatment process includes a biological treatment of the aqueous wastestreams and catalytic oxidation of the air exhaust streams.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the degradation of persistent contaminants in soil. The method provides the combination of a stabilizing reagent and a degradative reagent where both are admixed into a contaminated soil site for the reduction of permeability at the site and the chemical degradation of the contaminant over time.

Abstract: The invention relates to the containment of caesium and/or rubidium, in particular 135Cs and 137Cs in an apatitic matrix of formula: MtCaxLny(PO4)6−u(SiO4)uX in which: M represents Cs and/or Rb, Ln represents at least one trivalent cation, X represents at least one anion chosen from among 2F−, S2−, 2Cl−, 2Br−, 2I−, 2OH− and O2−, and t, x, y, and u are such that: 0<t·2.5 2·x·8 1·y·7 0·u·6 x+y+t=10 and the total number of positive charges provided by the cations M, Ca and Ln are equal to (20+u).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of decomposing organochlorine compounds such as dioxins reductively or catalytically. The organochlorine compounds such as dioxins and o-chloroanisole are decomposed in an aqueous alkali solution in the presence of a reducing agent or a catalyst. The alkali which can be used is at least one selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate and aqueous ammonia. The reducing agent which can be used is at least one selected from the group consisting of sodium hydrosulfite, ascorbic acid, hydrazine, hydrazine hydrate, neutral hydrazine sulfate, hydrazine carbonate, sodium thiosulfate, sodium sulfite, potassium sulfite, hydroquinone, 4-methylaminophenol sulfate and Rongalite. The catalyst which can be used is at least one selected from the group consisting of activated carbon and titanium oxide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to removal of organic pollutants from aqueous effluent streams. The present invention provides a method of destructively oxidising an organic compound present in an aqueous solution, the method comprising oxidising the organic compound in the presence of a catalyst which contains uranium. The catalyst may comprise a uranium oxide. The reaction may be carried out at low temperature, e.g. ambient temperature. The method may be used to treat aqueous effluent streams to remove organic compounds from the stream.

Abstract: The invention concerns a micronized alkaline earth metal carbonate prepared with or without the use of an agent preventing crystal growth, and a process for its preparation and use. The prepared micronized calcium carbonate, barium carbonate with a BET surface area ranging from 3 to 30 m2/g or strontium carbonate with a BET surface area ranging from 3 to 50 m2/g is suitable in particular for preparing capacitors, thermistors and other oxide ceramic electrical components containing calcium oxide, barium oxide or strontium oxide, and high-temperature superconductors. Ammonium salts or alkylammonium salts of carboxylic acids having a total of between 3 and 12 carbon atoms and at least two COOH groups or at least two OH groups, e.g. salts of maleic acid or nitric acid, are used as agents preventing crystal growth.

Abstract: A process for the chemical destruction of sulphur mustard by chemical conversion which comprises in the step of reacting sulphur mustard with a thiophilic agent prepared by dissolving sulphur in ethylenediamine and/or ethanol diamine.

Abstract: A coated fertilizer is provided along with a method for producing the coated fertilizer, where the coated fertilizer has a coating made of at least one amine compound which is a primary, secondary or tertiary, straight or branched hydrocarbon chain amine or an amine containing a cyclic hydrocarbon radical and; a microcrystalline wax, a paraffin wax or a soft synthetic wax.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of TNT and aluminum from tritonal-containing military shells. The process uses a solvent in which the TNT is substantially soluble, but not the aluminum. This results in a liquid organic solvent phase and a solid aluminum particle phase. The aluminum particles are recovered by conventional solid-liquid separation techniques, such as filtering, gravity settling, and the like. The TNT is recovered from the solvent by flashing or evaporating the solvent and recrystallizing the TNT.

Abstract: A process for producing potassium nitrate and other metal nitrates from the chlorides, sulfates, oxides of these metals. The process uses nitrogen dioxide as a true fluidizing medium in shallow beds of the aforementioned solids at moderately elevated temperatures in a continuous counter current process to convert the metal chlorides, sulfates, and oxides, into metal nitrates and effluent gas and water vapor. The process may be carried out in a series of true fluidized beds arranged in a vertical configuration so that the solids flow downward due to the fluidized process and the nitrogen dioxide gas flows counter currently in an upward direction producing pure metal nitrates at the bottom and nitrosyl chloride gas and/or water vapor at the top.

Abstract: To produce a catalytically active material, titanium dioxide, together with an oxide or with a dissolved compound of tungsten and/or vanadium, is processed into a shapeable material. the shapeable material is dried to form a shaped body, and the shaped body is calcined. After the calcining, the shaped body is additionally impregnated with a dissolved compound of titanium and vanadium and is dried again. A catalytically active material of this type has a high catalytic activity with regard to breaking down dioxins and/or furans even in a temperature range of below 250° C. The catalytically active material is particularly suitable for producing dioxin and/or furan catalytic converters.

Abstract: Solidification of liquid radioactive waste, and other hazardous wastes, is accomplished by the method of the invention by incorporating the waste into a porous glass crystalline molded block. The porous block is first loaded with the liquid waste and then dehydrated and exposed to thermal treatment at 50-1,000° C. The porous glass crystalline molded block consists of glass crystalline hollow microspheres separated from fly ash (cenospheres), resulting from incineration of fossil plant coals. In a preferred embodiment, the porous glass crystalline blocks are formed from perforated cenospheres of grain size −400+50, wherein the selected cenospheres are consolidated into the porous molded block with a binder, such as liquid silicate glass. The porous blocks are then subjected to repeated cycles of saturating with liquid waste, and drying, and after the last cycle the blocks are subjected to calcination to transform the dried salts to more stable oxides.

Abstract: A method for safely treating and disposing of infectious biomedical waste and other hazardous materials is disclosed. The method involves alkaline hydrolysis of infectious agents contained in regulated medical waste or hazardous waste solutions. The infectious waste is immersed into a highly basic solvent which is then heated. The material containing the infectious agents is allowed to remain within the heated solvent until the hydrolyzable matter is fully digested, thereby forming a sterile solution and sterile solid waste. The sterile soluti and solid waste may then be disposed of through standard means, such as in a sanitary sewage system or local landfill facility. The method also provides for the treatment of lipid soluble hazardous material contained in the regulated medical waste.