DISPOSAL OF CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS AND HALONS

CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (CFC) AND HALONS HAVE GREAT UTILITY AS REFRIGERANTS, FIRE SUPPRESSANTS, CLEANING AGENTS, SOLVENTS, PROPELLANTS AND CONSTITUENTS OF BLOWN FOAMS. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THEY POSE A SERIOUS THREAT TO THE STRATOSPHERIC OZONE LAYER THEY MUST BE REMOVED FROM SERVICE. MOREOVER, CURRENT INVENTORIES OF THESE COMPOUNDS IN STORAGE AND IN CONTAMINATED SITES MUST BE EFFICIENTLY CONVERTED TO ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN PRODUCTS. UNFORTUNATELY, SUCH A CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY DOES NOT YET EXIST. THIS PHASE I PROPOSAL OFFERS AN INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUE FOR CONVERTING HALOGENATED ORGANIC COMPOUNDS INTO HYDROGEN HALIDES AND USEFUL ORGANIC MATERIALS. THE PROCESS IS DESIGNATED PHOTO-THERMAL HYDRODEHALOGENATION (PTH). IT USES ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT TO PHOTO-CATALYZE DEHALOGENATION. LIGHT INITIATES CHAIN REACTIONS BY DISSOCIATING CARBON-HALOGEN BONDS. SUBSEQUENT RADICAL REACTIONS WITH HYDROGENOUS BATH GAS UNDER APPROPRIATE CONDITIONS LEAD TO THERMODYNAMICALLY AND KINETICALLY FAVORED PRODUCTS WHICH ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE. PHASE I IS A FEASIBILITY STUDY TO DETERMINE EFFICIENCY AND COST EFFECTIVENESS OF PTH. TO THIS END, A DETAILED WORK PLAN CONSISTING OF FIVE TASKS IS PROPOSED. THE FIRST TASK IS CONSTRUCTION OF A FLOW REACTOR. TASKS #2-4 DEFINE THE PHOTO-THERMAL PARAMETERS, CONVERSION EFFICIENCY, AND PRODUCTS COMPOSITION AND DISTRIBUTION. THE FIFTH TASK IS A PRELIMINARY COST ANALYSIS. IF PHASE I IS SUCCESSFUL, A COMPREHENSIVE PHASE II WILL BRING THE TECHNOLOGY TO COMMERCIALIZATION.