United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA/540/MR-93/522 September 1993 SUPERFUND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION Demonstration Bulletin ,L Gas-Phase Chemical Reduction ? Eco Logic International, Inc. Technology Description: The patented Eco Logic Pro- cess employs a gas-phase reduction reaction of hydrogen with organic and chlorinated organic compounds at elevated tempera- tures to convert aqueous and oily hazardous contaminants into a hydrocarbon-rich gas product. After passing through a scrubber, the gas product's primary components are hydrogen, nitrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, water vapor, and other lighter hydro- carbons. Most of this gas recirculates in the process while excess gas can be compressed and stored or used as supplementary fuel for the system's propane-fired boiler. The gas-phase reduction reaction takes place within a specially- designed reactor. Nozzles, mounted tangentially around the top of the reactor, inject a mixture of atomized waste, steam, and hydrogen into this cylindrical vessel. As the mixture swirls down between the outer reactor wall and a centra! ceramic tube, it N* -J H0 _ passes a series of electric glo-bar heaters. By the time the mixture enters the ports at the bottom of the ceramic tube, it has been heated to at least 850°C. The gas-phase reduction reaction takes place as the gases enter the ceramic tube and travel up toward the scrubber. The scrubber removes hydrogen chloride, heat, water, and par- ticulate matter from the gas stream. When processing wastes with low organic content, approximately 95 percent of the hydro- gen-rich gas recirculates back to the reactor; the remaining 5 % can be used as supplementary fuel for a propane-fired boiler that produces steam to preheat the waste. Processing waste with a high-organic content produces excess gas product, which can be compressed and stored for later analysis and disposal. The reactor, scrubber, boiler, and auxiliary equipment are mounted on two standard, drop-deck, highway trailers. A computerized prc> Reactor sludge And Decant Gnt Water Slowdown Propane Combustion . Air Figure 1. Reactor System Schematic Printed on Recycled Paper ------- cass control system allows the operator to monitor process vari- ables such as temperature, pressure, hydrogen content, and oxygen levels. In addition, Eco Logic employs an on-line chemical tonlzation mass spectrometer (CIMS) to continuously monitor se- lected organic compounds. Waste Applicability: The Eco Logic Process is designed to treat polychlorinated blphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydro- carbons (PAHs), chlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans, chlori- nated solvents, chtorobenzenes, and chlorophenols. The SITE Demonstration proved that the process can achieve 99.9999% destruction and removal efficiencies for PCBs in waste streams at concentrations ranging from 4600 ppm in a contaminated aque- ous mixture to 24.5% in waste oils that contain chlorinated sol- vents and other hydrocarbons. Demonstration Results: The U.S. SPA'S Superfund Inno- vative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program, in cooperation with Environment Canada, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Energy, and the City of Bay City, conducted a demonstration of the Eco Logic Process at the Middleground Landfill in Bay City, Michigan during October and November 1992. This demonstra- tion was conducted under a TSCA Research & Development permit. The formal test program consisted of two separate waste feod conditions: • a wastewater containing an average 4600 ppm PCBs * a waste oil containing an average 24.5% PCBs Both feeds were tested in triplicate. In addition to the analytical test program, EPA conducted a 72-hour engineering performance test. In a companion program conducted at the Bay City site, Eco Logic demonstrated their proprietary thermal desorption unit, de- signed to process soils. This test is the subject of a separate set of SITE reports. Key findings from the Eco Logic demonstration are summarized below: * At least 99.9999% destruction and removal efficiency (ORE) for PCBs during all test runs A 99.99% destruction efficiency (DE) for perchloroethylene, a tracer compound, during all test runs Net destruction of trace feedstockdioxin and furan compounds during all test runs Successful completion of a 72-hour engineering performance test Throughput (tons/day) Oily Waste Water/Oil Waste Nominal Design 4 10 Demonstrated Rate 2.3 7.0 EPA will publish an Applications Analysis Report and a Technol- ogy Evaluation Report in the fall of 1993. These reports will address all tests results in detail, including a complete analysis of process inputs, intermediates, and outputs observed during the demonstration. Among the items covered will be an analysis of the products of incomplete combustion, hydrogen chloride emis- sions, and criteria air pollutants. System reliability, mass bal- ances, costs, and safety will also be addressed. For Further Information Contact: SITE Project Manager Gordon M. Evans U.S. EPA Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory 26 W. Martin L King Dr. Cincinnati, OH 45268 (513)-569-7684 Jim Nash Business Development Manager Eco Logic International, Inc. 143 Dennis St. Rockwood, Ontario NOB 2KO Canada (519)-856-9591 •U.S.Govarmtwnt Priming Offico: 1993—750-071/80098 United States Environmental Protection Agency Center for Environmental Research Information Cincinnati, OH 45268 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 BULK RATE POSTAGE & FEES PAID EPA PERMIT No. G-35 EPA/S4Q/MR-93/522 ------- |