A waste destruction method using a reactor vessel to combust and destroy organic and combustible waste, including the steps of introducing a supply of waste into the reactor vessel, introducing a supply of an oxidant into the reactor vessel to mix with the waste forming a waste and oxidant mixture, introducing a supply of water into the reactor vessel to mix with the waste and oxidant mixture forming a waste, water and oxidant mixture, reciprocatingly compressing the waste, water and oxidant mixture forming a compressed mixture, igniting the compressed mixture forming a exhaust gas, and venting the exhaust gas into the surrounding atmosphere.

A waste destruction method is described using a reactor vessel to combust and destroy organic and combustible waste, including the steps of introducing a supply of waste into the reactor vessel, introducing a supply of an oxidant into the reactor vessel to mix with the waste forming a waste and oxidant mixture, introducing a supply of water into the reactor vessel to mix with the waste and oxidant mixture forming a waste, water and oxidant mixture, reciprocatingly compressing the waste, water and oxidant mixture forming a compressed mixture, igniting the compressed mixture forming a exhaust gas, and venting the exhaust gas into the surrounding atmosphere.

The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) to destroy organic hazardous wastes generated by Navy industrial activities. Supercritical water oxidation is the low temperature combustion of organic material in the medium of supercritical steam. The study concludes that SCWO is an economically attractive method of destroying a wide variety of hazardous organic wastes. The estimated Navy need for SCWO technology is a minimum of seven waste processing plants, each having a capacity of 1 gallon per minute of organic material. The estimated capital cost of each plant is $6M. The estimated hazardous waste disposal cost is approximately $8 per gallon of organic material, which is substantially lower than the conventional disposal cost of up to $45 per gallon. It is estimated that SCWO can be implemented on a large scale, and in a safe, reliable, and efficient manner. Waste streams that contain a large amount of mineral-acid forming chemical species or that contain a large amount of dissolved solids present a challenge to current SCWO technology.

A complete and detailed look at the Federal Superfund Program for cleaning up toxic waste sites. Focuses on early identification. Addresses the assessment of potential National Priorities List (NPL) sites and the initial response to reduce near term threats at all NPL sits and prevent sites from getting worse. Analyzes the ways in which the Superfund program may become more effective.

Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) is a rapidly emerging technology that presents potential as a hazardous waste treatment method for a wide variety of industrial chemicals ranging from common organic solvents to complex formulations such as paints, lubricating oils, and degreasers. The Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory is contributing to the development of this technology for application to waste materials generated at naval shipyards and bases. These wastes include paint stripping and changeout fluids generated from equipment service procedures as well as herbicides, pesticides, paint, and numerous other materials associated with base facility maintenance. An important design consideration in the development of SCWO systems centers on choosing a reactor operating temperature such that the destruction of the waste organic is sufficiently complete. This report examines the temperature dependence of the oxidation in supercritical water of seven common organic compounds and three industrial commercial materials over the temperature range of 430°C to 585°C and reaction times ranging from seven to thirty seconds at a pressure of 27.5 MPa (4000 psi). The materials studies are methanol, phenol, methyl ethyl ketone, ethylene glycol, acetic acid, methylene chloride, 1,1,1-tichloroethane (TCA), latex paint, motor oil, and Roundup, a commercial general purpose herbicide. The results indicate that for most materials, temperatures over 530°C and residence times near 20 seconds afford destruction efficiencies of greater than 99.95%.