Abstract: The invention is directed to the formation of filler containing anionically modified polyurethane (urea) compositions by reacting suitable polyurethane (urea) forming ingredients in the presence of from 5 to 97% by weight of fillers selected from the group consisting of(i) finely divided or lumpy foam particles,(ii) fossile lignocelluloses,(iii) carbon powder, and(iv) mixtures thereof,said filler-containing polyurethane (urea) having a water absorbability of from 33 to 97% by weight, and having an anionic group content of from 10 to 3000 milliequivalents of anionic groups and/or groups capable of anionic group formation per 1000 grams of said polyurethane (urea) components.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of non-floating, non-abrasive, highly-filled polyurethane (urea) compositions of high water-absorbability, which during their production contain no cells capable of growth as carriers for biomasses in the biological treatment of waste-containing liquids. These carriers have a filler content of greater than 15% by weight and less than 95% by weight (based on the moisture-free weight of the filler-containing polyurethanes). The fillers are selected from the group consisting of natural materials containing finely-divided fossil lignocelluloses or the secondary products thereof (e.g., peat, lignite, mineral coal or coke), active carbon, finely-divided distillation residues, inorganic fillers, homogeneous or cellular plastics particles (and more particularly polyurethane foam (waste) particles) and mixtures thereof. The polyurethane (urea) is a hydrophilic and/or hydrophobic polyurethane(urea), and preferably contains cationic groups.

Abstract: The instant invention is directed to a process for the separation of aqueous sludges in the purification of effluents in purification plants, comprising:(a) mixing organic and/or inorganic aqueous sludges with ground monomer-free tolylene diisocyanate (TDI) distillation residues having a mean particle size of less than 2 mm;(b) removing the water from the resulting purified sludges; and(c) disposing of the purified sludges.

Abstract: A process for the chemical treatment of an effluent containing at least one organic compound selected from the group consisting of an organometallic compound and an organic compound containing at least one of phosphorus, nitrogen and halogen, comprising treating the effluent hydrolytically for about 20 to 200 minutes at a temperature above about 100.degree. C. under a pressure above about 2 bars and a pH of about 1 to 14. Advantageously, a catalyst comprising activated carbon or kieselguhr is added to the effluent before the hydrolytic treatment and the hydrolytic treatment is carried out in the presence of ammonia or a primary or secondary amine. The organic compound may be an acid ester, a dye, or quaternary ammonium compound, a cyanide, a nitrile, a cyanate, an isocyanate, hydrazine, an organic derivative of hydrazine, an azo compound or an organometallic compound and the effluent may be aftertreated as with hypochlorite or H.sub.2 O.sub.2.

Abstract: In the introduction of a finely dispersed gas containing at least about 20 to 45% of oxygen by volume with intensive mixing into a vessel having a gas space and effluent containing biochemically oxidizable constituents, in the presence of activated sludge, the improvement which comprisesA. introducing oxygen into the gas space of said vessel in such amount that the oxygen content is within 10% of a predetermined value;B. a component volume of the gases in the gas space being ejected as a fine dispersion into the effluent, andC. directly introducing oxygen into the component volume being ejected into the effluent in such amount that the oxygen content in the effluent is within 60% of a predetermined value, whereby there is obtained an improved utilization of oxygen even in the event of fluctuations in load of the effluent. Advantageously the effluent from the first vessel cascades into a second vessel which is similarly treated.