Advanced Oxidation for Waste Destruction: Magic or Simple Chemistry?

Industrial waste treatment is demanding new solutions. DI tanks are a great revenue source for the providers, but a growing maintenance headache for end users. Regenerating resin is costly, labor intensive and does not limit the waste liability. Merely transferring the contaminant from one medium to another is no longer acceptable.

More and more companies want to eliminate the waste on-site. This need has taken oxidation and advanced oxidation approaches and pushed them to commercially viable options. Wastech now introduces the SIGMA Advanced Oxidation family.

Simple Chemical Oxidation

Simple chemical oxidation uses a strong oxidizer (such as hypochlorite, peroxides, persulfates, percholorates, permanganates, etc.) to break down hazardous waste into less toxic constituents. The net result of these chemical reactions is to convert the pollutant to its basic minerals. This means converting the substance to either carbon dioxide gas or water and a mineral salt. Take Hydrogen Peroxide, for instance, and its ability to control slime, to remove FOG and chlorine residuals, and to oxidize sulfides, metals and other easy to oxidize components of BOD/COD.

More resistant substances or more difficult to oxidize pollutants may require a catalyst to boost the reactions.

Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOT)

What is advanced oxidation technologies (referred to as AOT)? AOT produces hydroxyl radicals (-OH), which are highly reactive oxidizing agents that will react with and destroy most dissolved organic contaminants in water. Organics and inorganics can be destroyed. This would include chlorinated solvents (methylene chloride, carbon tetrachloride), benzene, toluene, alcohols (IPA, ethanol), glycols, and generic organics (as measured by COD, BOD and TOC).

The hydroxyl radical is formed when hydrogen peroxide is combined with UV light and ozone as a catalyst. Wastech Controls has a family of solutions for various combinations of hydrogen peroxide, ozone and UV. The Wastech SIGMA family is a modular unit with a UV reaction chamber, ozone generator, H2O2 injection and complete automated controls. Modules can be combined for higher flow rates. These automatic systems will solve those difficult waste treatment problems.

If you are hauling waste or your DI costs are skyrocketing, look at Wastech's SIGMA Advanced Oxidation for on-site destruction.

Call us for an evaluation!