Hydrothermal electrolysis of organic contaminants

Incineration is one of possible processes for the disposal of industrial organic wastewater. However, the combustion product gases exhausted to the atmosphere by incineration are a source of concern. The main pollutants in the exhaust gases include acid gases, e.g., hydrogen chloride, SO₂, NO_x, and CO₂. In light of this, a new technique is being developed called hydrothermal electrolysis in sub-critical water for the treatment of organic pollutants. Electrical treatment experiments of aqueous 1-butanol solution, were carried out in sub-critical water. Although 1-butanol is very stable compound under high-temperature and high-pressure, hydrothermal electrolysis has an enhancing effect on the decomposition of 1-butanol in sub-critical water. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 2007 AIChE Annual Meeting (Salt Lake City, UT 11/4-9/2007).