Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
An ecologically clean process for the disposal of sludge from the treatment of waste water together with admixed hazardous waste material, which comprises: a. dewatering said sludge to form a partially dewatered sludge containing at least about 25% solids, the remainder being water; b. blending said partially dewatered sludge with hazardous waste material to provide a substantially homogeneous waste mixture which when brought to the ignition temperature thereof in the presence of sufficient air is at least nearly autogeneously combustible; and c. incinerating said at least nearly autogeneously combustible mixture at a temperature of at least about 1400° F. for sufficient time to substantially completely combust said mixture to substantially odor-free off gases.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
113 words
An ecologically clean process for the disposal of sludge from the treatment of waste water together with admixed hazardous waste material, which comprises: a. dewatering said sludge to form a partially dewatered sludge containing at least about 25% solids, the remainder being water; b. blending said partially dewatered sludge with hazardous waste material to provide a substantially homogeneous waste mixture which when brought to the ignition temperature thereof in the presence of sufficient air is at least nearly autogeneously combustible; and c. incinerating said at least nearly autogeneously combustible mixture at a temperature of at least about 1400° F. for sufficient time to substantially completely combust said mixture to substantially odor-free off gases.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein a third waste having a calorific value of at least about 5000 BTU/lb is added to said partially dewatered sludge and hazardous waste material in amounts sufficient to render said mixture at least nearly autogenerously combustible.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process according to claim 2 wherein the mixture to be incinerated has a calorific value of at least about 5000 BTU/lb.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
65 words
A process according to claim 2 wherein said partially dewatered sludge has a solids content in the range from about 25% to about 60% by weight, and the mixture to be incinerated contains at least about 1% to about 25% by weight of said hazardous waste and about 0% to about 35% by weight of said third waste, the remainder being said partially dewatered sludge.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 4 wherein the sludge has a solids content of about 35% to about 40% by weight and is autogeneously combustible.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process according to claim 5 wherein the mixture contains up to about 25% by weight of hazardous waste and sufficient of said third waste to render said mixture substantially autogeneously combustible.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
A process according to claim 6 wherein said mixture has a calorific value of at least about 7000 BTU/lb and a solids content of at least about 35% by weight and is substantially completely combustible at a temperature of about 1600° F. to provide substantially odor-free and innocuous off-gases.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
59 words
A process according to claim 4 wherein the mixture is free from highly refractory organic matter and the incineration is carried out in a fluidized bed incinerator at a temperature in the range from about 1400° F. to about 2000° F. with a residence time of at least about 2 seconds to achieve substantially total combustion of said mixture.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
A process according to claim 4 wherein the mixture contains highly refractory organic materials such as polychlorobenzenes and the incineration is carried out in a fluidized bed reactor at a temperature up to about 2400° F. with a residence time of at least 2.5 seconds, said conditions being sufficient to destroy said refractory organic materials to produce innocuous offgases.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
A process according to claim 4 wherein the incineration is carried out in a multiple hearth furnace at a temperature in the range from about 1400° F. to about 2000° F. with sufficient excess air and residence time to produce substantially innocuous off gases.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
A process according to claim 4 wherein the incineration is carried out in a rotary kiln incinerator at a temperature in the range from about 1700° to about 2300° F. for a period of about 30 to about 60 minutes sufficient to produce substantially innocuous off gases.