Treatment of solid wastes with molten salt oxidation

Abstract

Molten salt oxidation (MSO) is a robust thermal treatment process that can be used to oxidatively and efficiently destroy the organic constituents of mixed and hazardous wastes, and energetic materials [1–7]. An integrated pilot-scale MSO demonstration facility has been installed and operated at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). This facility, which has been operational since December 1997, was built to demonstrate the capability of processing organic feed at a commercially useful scale (5–7 kg/h). The integrated MSO treatment train consists of several subsystems:a primary MSO processor (reaction vessel), an off-gas conditioning system, a salt recycle system, and a ceramic final forms immobilization system. The MSO/off-gas system began operations in December 1997, while the salt recycle system and the ceramic final forms immobilization system were activated in May 1998 and September 1998, respectively. During FY98, we have successfully conducted tests in the MSO facility on a variety of liquid and solid organic feeds: chlorinated solvents, tributyl phosphate/kerosene mixtures, PCB-contaminated waste oils and solvents, shredded booties and coveralls, plastic pellets, ion-exchange resins, activated carbon, several radioactive-spike organics, and two well-characterized low-level liquid mixed wastes. This paper presents the results from the operation of the integrated pilot-scale MSO system for the treatmentof several solid feeds including activated carbon, ion exchange resin, plastic pellets, and shredded booties and gloves.