Patent ID: 8541623

Claim:
A method for oxidizing a material in an oxidation reactor, wherein said oxidation reactor further comprises an external circulation loop having means to increase the pressure in said external loop comprising the steps of: a) measuring the concentration of oxygen in said oxidation reactor; b) withdrawing a volume of aqueous medium from said oxidation reactor and measuring the concentration of oxygen in said volume; c) feeding oxygen into said volume as a dissolved species and allowing sufficient residence time to achieve a desired concentration of oxygen, wherein the oxygen feed amount is determined by measuring dissolved oxygen in the reactor and its pressure, and measuring the density of the volume and the concentration of oxygen in the ullage; d) feeding said volume back into said oxidation reactor at an elevated pressure and through a venturi device to a liquid distributor; and e) forming a circulation pattern within said oxidation reactor whereby a higher concentration of oxygen is maintained in the aqueous medium at the bottom of said oxidation reactor, and wherein the external circulation loop is maintained at pressure during steps c), d) and e).