Patent ID: 6462249
Filing Date: 2002-10-08
Classification: A62D

Abstract:
A process for the low temperature, non-incineration decontamination of contaminated materials containing hazardous agents, the process comprising:(a) contacting the contaminated materials and the hazardous agents with steam at substantially ambient pressure in a substantially dry first heated vessel for a period of at least about 15 minutes, the steam being at a temperature of at least about 560Â° C., whereby essentially all of the hazardous agents are removed from the contaminated materials; (b) removing a first gaseous discharge stream containing hazardous agents from the first heated vessel, the first gaseous discharge stream comprising a condensible moiety and a non-condensible moiety; (c) heating the first gaseous discharge stream at substantially ambient pressure in a substantially dry second vessel to at least about 500Â° C. and maintaining the first gaseous discharge stream in the second vessel of at least about 500Â° C. for a period of at least about one second in an atmosphere containing sufficient steam so that at least about 99 weight percent of the hazardous agents within the first gaseous discharge stream are converted to non-hazardous agents; (d) removing a second gaseous discharge stream containing a reduced concentration of hazardous agents from the second vessel, the second gaseous discharge stream comprising a condensible moiety and a non-condensible moiety; (e) passing the second gaseous discharge stream through a condenser wherein the condensible moiety of the second gaseous discharge stream is condensed to condensate having a concentration of hazardous agents less than about 100 mg/l; (f) increasing the pH of the condensate to at least about 8.0 so as to reduce the concentration of hazardous agents within the condensate to less than about 1.0 mg/l; and (g) catalytically treating the non-condensible moiety of the second gaseous discharge stream in the presence of oxygen so that the concentration of hazardous agents within the non-condensible moiety of the second gaseous discharge stream is reduced to less than about 1.0 mg/m3 at standard temperature and pressure.