Abstract: The disclosure relates to compositions that include a substrate having attached thereto functional molecules capable of interacting with ions, and related methods. Examples of the substrate include graphene, boron nitride and a graphene-boron nitride hybrid. The compositions can reduce (e.g., prevent) scale formation and/or dissolve scale formations in oil and gas production, transportation, storage, and processing systems, such as scales caused by calcium, barium and/or strontium ions.

Abstract: A method of promoting the growth of a plant comprising the application of an effective amount of 1,3,5-Triazinane-2,4,6-Trithione (TMT) to the plant. Particularly, the TMT is in an aqueous solution in a concentration range of 0.01% w/v to 0.1% w/v. In one embodiment the aqueous solution is applied to the plant by foliar spray. In another embodiment aqueous solution containing the TMT is mixed with zeolite.

Abstract: Concrete may be melted to form a glass product. Methods and batch compositions including concrete may be used to produce amorphous silica materials including, but not limited to, glass, container glass, fiber glass, glass bead, glass spheres, sheet or plate glass, glass aggregate, glass sand, abrasives, proppants, foamed glass, and manufactured glass articles. The initial processing steps include preparing a melt batch comprising concrete and, optionally, other components, melting the melt batch, and cooling the melted melt batch. Further processing steps may be utilized to produce the glass article.

Abstract: Method for the stabilization of contaminants within a material selected from soils, mining tailings and by-products, sludge wastes and industrial wastes, by mixing the material with an alum sludge composition. The composition includes one or more aluminum compound(s) and/or complex(es) together with a reactive carbon material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of ablating a surface layer of a wall by sweeping the said layer, comprising: a step of directional control by an optical deflector of a plurality of pulsed laser beams; a step of ablating the layer on impact zones created by the plurality of laser beams, each impact zone being defined by a centre and by a characteristic dimension; the method is characterized in that the impact zones are disjoint, the distance between each centre of the impact zones being equal to at least ten times the largest characteristic dimension of the impact zones. The invention also relates to a corresponding device.

Abstract: Provided is a method for remediating arsenic-contaminated soil, including: a collection step of collecting arsenic-contaminated soil; a washing step of adding the collected soil to a washing solution, which is acidic in nature and provides reducing conditions to the soil, so as to remove arsenic from the soil and transfer the removed arsenic to the washing solution; a solid-liquid separation step of separating the soil and the washing solution from each other after the washing step; and a post-treatment step of removing arsenic from the washing solution, which was separated in the solid-liquid separation step, and employing the soil for remediation.

Abstract: The instant invention relates to a process and plant for the transformation of dangerous wastes containing chromium six as contaminant into non dangerous wastes that can be stored without special care and will be degraded in the environment without time limit. The process basically consists of milling, extracting chromium six in liquid phase and under controlled conditions of stirring, time and temperature, proceeding then, through reduction, to transform the chromium six in chromium three and then precipitating as chromium trioxide, through gasification. The solid resulting from the transformation process can be used as raw material for the manufacturing of firebricks or eventually for the manufacturing of bricks used in the building industry through a process not included in the instant description.

Abstract: A detoxicant solution includes 0.1 to 50 parts by weight of at least one Friedel-Crafts reagent (Lewis acids) (I); 0.5 to 80 parts by weight of one or more of the following specific solvents (II): dimethyl sulfoxide, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone or octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane; and 1 to 80 parts by weight of an alcoholic solvent (III). The term “parts by weight” relates in each case to 100 parts by weight of the complete detoxicant solution.

Abstract: This invention provides a process for the detoxification of chemical agents including chemical warfare agents such as sulfur mustards, nitrogen mustards, nerve agents of G and V type, lewisite and adamsite by reacting the chemical agents with hydroxyl radicals at a pH greater than 7.0 to detoxify the agents and to render them suitable for disposal. The process can be used on-site and can be easily scaled to fairly large sizes.

Abstract: The instant invention relates to a process and plant for the transformation of dangerous wastes containing chromium six as contaminant into non dangerous wastes that can be stored without special care and will be degraded in the environment without time limit. The process basically consists of milling, extracting chromium six in liquid phase and under controlled conditions of stirring, time and temperature, proceeding then, through reduction, to transform the chromium six in chromium three and then precipitating as chromium trioxide, through gasification. The solid resulting from the transformation process can be used as raw material for the manufacturing of firebricks or eventually for the manufacturing of bricks used in the building industry through a process not included in the instant description.

Abstract: A recycling furnace and method are provided for processing potentially explosive precious metal-containing materials having organic fractions that combust with great energy, the furnace including a switching facility for alternating operation of a burning-off chamber of the furnace between: (A) pyrolysis or carbonization under protective furnace gas in an atmosphere comprising maximally 6 wt-% oxygen, and (B) oxidative combustion of the organic fractions including carbon. The furnace has indirect heating and a control that determines the end of the pyrolysis or carbonization by a sensor and controls the switching facility to supply air or oxygen to the interior of the furnace. Steps (A) and (B) are carried out sequentially in the furnace chamber, wherein neither the batch is changed, nor the furnace is opened. After the end of step (A) is determined, step (B) proceeds right after the pyrolysis or carbonization by supplying air or oxygen.

Abstract: A method for the decontamination and solidification of dredged material is described. The method includes, in the following order, (a) adding a lime-based binder to dredged material to form a mixture; (b) letting the mixture cool to about ambient temperature; and (c) adding to the mixture a chelating agent. The order of the steps may not be reversed without affecting the effectiveness of the treatment of the dredged material. A method for producing filler containing decontaminated and solidified dredged material is also described. The method includes treating dredged material with a lime-based binder and a chelating agent and adding the resulting mixture to concrete.

Abstract: Perlite, particularly, perlite in powdered form, is employed to adsorb metals and metal compounds from fluids, in particular gases at elevated temperature. Treatment of perlite by boiling with sulfuric acid or suspending in a suspension of sulfur in carbon disulfide has been shown to significantly expand the surface area of perlite, thus increasing the efficiency of the process. In select embodiments, powdered perlite is treated to expand its surface area and injected into a fluid stream, such as flue gas, held for a specific retention period, and removed for subsequent disposal. In other embodiments powdered perlite is provided in an adsorption bed. Fluids containing metals or metal compounds in vapor form are permitted to pass through the adsorption bed until the expanded perlite powder is saturated (exhausted) with the metal and metal compounds adsorbed thereon. The perlite is then replaced, disposing of the exhausted perlite.

Abstract: A novel method for remediating metals includes treating the metals with a mesoporous nanocomposite such as HMS, MCM-41 or MCM-48. The metal is preferably lead but can be at least one metal selected from Pb, Hg, Cd, Zn, Sn, As, Sb, In, Se, Ga, Te, Bi, Ni, Cu, Mo, Ni, Cu, Sr, Ba or Co. The treating is preferably performed at a pH of about 4 to about 12. In the invention, the treating can also include desorbing the metal from the mesoporous nanocomposite at a pH of about 2 or less.

Abstract: A process for decontaminating a medium polluted with metals and hydrophobic organic compounds (HOC) includes providing an acidic slurry of water, acid, chloride salt, surfactant, and the polluted medium. Flotation is preformed on the acidic slurry to form a HOC-rich froth and an HOC-depleted slurry and the froth is recovered. The slurry is separated to obtain a treated solid and a liquid effluent rich in metallic ions. Preferably, the process also includes recuperating the metals by chemical precipitation and/or electrodeposition to produce a treated solution. Also provided are a decontaminant having an acid, a chloride salt, and a surfactant as well as a chemical kit for decontaminating the polluted medium including the decontaminant in which the acid, chloride salt and surfactant can be mixed with polluted medium in the presence of water before removing at least a portion of the metals and HOC from the polluted medium.

Abstract: A soil cleaning method (phytoremediation) of absorbing a contaminating substance contained in a contaminated soil by a plant to clean the soil. An object of the present invention is to provide a method of cleaning a contaminated soil which performs cleaning of a soil containing heavy metals in a shorter term than before and, at the same time, utilizes phytoremediation having little influence on the environment. The object is attained by absorbing heavy metals by a plant of Polygonaceae family, Fagopyrum genus, and, at the same time, adding a biodegradable chelating agent to a contaminated soil in order to assist the absorption. And, a biodegradable chelating agent having the high heavy metal dissolving out ability not only enhances the cleaning efficacy but also reduces secondary influence on the environment.

Abstract: A method for treating bottom ash from a waste incineration plant. The invention relates in particular to a method for treating bottom ash from a domestic waste incineration plant. In accordance with the invention bottom ash having a size ranging up to 2 mm is treated by removing a previously determined component. The treatment comprises at least one of the following steps: the removal of organic components, the removal of heavy metals, the removal of ions and the removal of a fraction having a size of up to 50 ?m. It is preferred for the nonferrous heavy metals to be removed and the ferrous metals to remain in the fraction. Most preferably at least one of the treatment steps comprises a wet treatment.

Abstract: To treat an organotin compound in a liquid at low cost. Addition of iron oxide into a liquid containing an organotin compound allows trapping of the organotin compound in the liquid by the iron oxide, and reduction of the organotin compound concentration in the liquid. Various iron oxides such as FeO, Fe2O3(iron sesquioxide), and Fe3O4 (iron oxide black) may be used, but iron oxide black is preferred. Such the method of treating a liquid may be applied to polluted seawater at a harbor to allow reduction of the organotin compound concentration in the seawater and purification of the harbor.

Abstract: A process to transform solid, low-level, radioactive waste produced from oil and gas production into a form that may be safely disposed of, such as by re-injection into geologic formations in the Earth.

Abstract: A process to transform solid, low-level, radioactive waste produced from oil and gas production into a form that may be safely disposed of, such as by re-injection into geologic formations in the Earth.

Abstract: A reactive coating composition and method for treating a surface including heavy metals by applying the reactive coating composition to the surface. The surface can be, for example, a paint layer containing heavy metals. The reactive coating composition includes a stabilizing agent to stabilize the heavy metal and a permeability enhancing agent to increase the permeability of the paint layer, facilitating the reaction of the heavy metal with the stabilizing agent. The structure including the treated paint layer can be left in place or can be disposed in a non-hazardous landfill.

Abstract: A method for recovering and recycling catalyst coated fuel cell membranes includes dissolving the used membranes in water and solvent, heating the dissolved membranes under pressure and separating the components. Active membranes are produced from the recycled materials.

Abstract: A method of using high temperature plasma to disintegrate waste containing titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) comprises heating a mixture of titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc), a vitrifying material and optionally selected waste soil to a temperature of 1,220° C. to 10,000° C. until the mixture becomes a molten lava. The plasma breaks down the titanyl phthalocyanine and encapsulates the benign products in the lava that is chemically very stable. Since the titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) is disintegrated completely in the process, the titanyl phtbalocyanine (TiOPc) no longer represents a threat to the environmental.

Abstract: A supercritical oxidation process carried out in water is capable of oxidizing “organics” in precious metal organic compositions such as heterogeneous (Pt/C) or homogeneous precious metal catalysts and producing a precious metal oxide with few by-products and low losses of precious metal.

Abstract: A reactive coating composition and method for treating a surface including heavy metals by applying the reactive coating composition to the surface. The surface can be, for example, a paint layer containing heavy metals. The reactive coating composition includes a stabilizing agent to stabilize the heavy metal and a permeability enhancing agent to increase the permeability of the paint layer, facilitating the reaction of the heavy metal with the stabilizing agent. The structure including the treated paint layer can be left in place or can be disposed in a non-hazardous landfill.

Abstract: Process for rendering inert a sludge (1) comprising heavy metals and organic matter, according to which phosphoric acid (2) is added to the sludge and the latter is subjected to calcination (6). A hydraulic binder (9) is mixed with the product of the calcination (7) and mixed with water (8). The resulting mixture (11) is subjected to setting and curing.