Catalytic process for degradation of organic materials in aqueous and organic fluids to produce environmentally compatible products

Claim 2

A catalytic process for the degradation of an undesired organic material into environmentally compatible products without need for pretreating the organic material to be degraded, said process comprising the steps of: obtaining the undesired organic material to be degraded in a fluid state; combining said fluid organic material in the presence of water with a solid catalyst comprising at least one transition element and a peroxide as a reaction mixture; and adding photoenergy absorbable by said catalyst to said reaction mixture to yield environmentally compatible reaction products comprising at least carbon dioxide.

Claim 3

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein said fluid organic mixture is obtained by: mixing the organic material to be degraded with a fluid carrier to form a fluid mixture; and adding water to said fluid mixture.

Claim 4

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein said fluid organic material is obtained by mixing a water-containing organic material with a fluid carrier.

Claim 5

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein said fluid organic material is obtained as a fluid mixture of water and the organic material to be degraded.

Claim 6

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein said fluid organic material comprises an organic liquid.

Claim 7

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein the organic material to be degraded comprises a mixture of different compositions.

Claim 8

The catalytic process as recited in claim 6 wherein said mixture includes solid particulate matter.

Claim 9

The catalytic process as recited in claim 7 wherein said solid particulate matter comprises granular, activated carbon.

Claim 10

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein said organic material comprise synthetic materials.

Claim 11

The catalytic process as recited in claim 9 wherein said synthetic materials are selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene.

Claim 12

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein said fluid organic material comprises a detergent emulsified dispersion.

Claim 13

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein the organic material to be degraded comprises at least one toxic substance.

Claim 14

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein the organic material to be degraded comprises at least one non-toxic substance.

Claim 15

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein the organic material to be degraded comprises pollutants of water.

Claim 16

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein said photoenergy is selected from the group consisting of visible light wavelengths and ultraviolet light wavelengths.

Claim 17

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said reaction products is in a gaseous state.

Claim 18

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein said solid catalyst comprises an oxide of a transition element.

Claim 19

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein said solid catalyst is titanium dioxide.

Claim 20

The catalytic process as recited in claim 1 wherein said peroxide is hydrogen peroxide.

Claim 21

A catalytic process for the purification of an organic solvent containing dissolved organic material without need for pretreating the organic solvent to be purified, said process comprising the steps of: obtaining an organic solvent containing dissolved organic material as an undesired impurity; combining said impure organic solvent in the presence of water with a solid catalyst comprising at least one transition element and a peroxide as a reaction mixture; and adding photoenergy absorbable by said solid catalyst to said reaction mixture to yield a substantially purified organic solvent and environmentally compatible reaction products comprising at least carbon dioxide.

Claim 22

A catalytic process for the purification of an organic solvent containing dissolved organic material without need for pretreating the organic solvent to be purified, said process comprising the steps of: obtaining an organic solvent containing dissolved organic material as an undesired impurity; combining said impure organic solvent in the presence of water with a solid catalyst comprising at least one transition element and a peroxide as a reaction mixture; and adding photoenergy absorbable by said solid catalyst to said reaction mixture to yield a substantially purified organic solvent and environmentally compatible reaction products comprising at least carbon dioxide.

Claim 23

An environmentally compatible process for regenerating granular activated carbon from exhausted granular activated carbon containing organic material, said process comprising the steps of: mixing the exhausted, granular activated carbon with an organic solvent such that the organic material becomes dissolved in said organic solvent and granular activated carbon is regenerated in a form substantially free of adsorbed organic material; separating said regenerated, granular activated carbon from said organic solvent containing dissolved organic material; combining said separated organic solvent with water, a solid catalyst comprising at least one transition element, and a peroxide as a reaction mixture; and adding photoenergy absorbable by said solid catalyst to said reaction mixture to yield an organic solvent substantially free of dissolved organic material and environmentally compatible reaction products comprising at least carbon dioxide.

Claim 24

An environmentally compatible process for regenerating granular activated carbon from exhausted granular activated carbon containing organic material, said process comprising the steps of: mixing the exhausted, granular activated carbon with an organic solvent such that the organic material becomes dissolved in said organic solvent and granular activated carbon is regenerated in a form substantially free of adsorbed organic material; separating said regenerated, granular activated carbon from said organic solvent containing dissolved organic material; combining said separated organic solvent with water, a solid catalyst comprising at least one transition element, and a peroxide as a reaction mixture; and adding photoenergy absorbable by said solid catalyst to said reaction mixture to yield an organic solvent substantially free of dissolved organic material and environmentally compatible reaction products comprising at least carbon dioxide.

Claim 25

The process as recited in claim 20 or 21 wherein said solid catalyst is an oxide of a transition element.

Claim 26

The process as recited in claim 20 or 21 wherein said solid catalyst is titanium dioxide.

Claim 27

The process as recited in claim 20 or 21 wherein said peroxide is hydrogen peroxide.

Claim 28

The process as recited in claim 20 or 21 wherein said organic solvent is acetonitrile.

Claim 29

The process as recited in claim 20 or 21 wherein said organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of alkylnitriles, N-N-dimethylacrylamides, and dialkylsulfones.

Claim 30

An environmentally compatible process for purifying potable water and industrial waste water without need for pretreating the water to be purified, said process comprising the steps of: obtaining water polluted with undesired dissolved organic material; combining said polluted water with a solid catalyst comprising at least one transition element and a peroxide as a reaction mixture; and adding photoenergy absorbable by said solid catalyst to said reaction mixture to yield substantially purified water and environmentally compatible reaction products comprising at least carbon dioxide.

Claim 31

An environmentally compatible process for purifying potable water and industrial waste water without need for pretreating the water to be purified, said process comprising the steps of: obtaining water polluted with undesired dissolved organic material; combining said polluted water with a solid catalyst comprising at least one transition element and a peroxide as a reaction mixture; and adding photoenergy absorbable by said solid catalyst to said reaction mixture to yield substantially purified water and environmentally compatible reaction products comprising at least carbon dioxide.

Claim 32

An environmentally compatible process for purifying potable water and industrial waste water, said process comprising the steps of: obtaining water polluted with organic material; passing said polluted water through granular activated carbon such that said organic material is substantially adsorbed by said granular activated carbon and said water is substantially purified; mixing said granular activated carbon containing adsorbed organic material with an organic solvent such that said organic material becomes dissolved in said organic solvent and said granular activated carbon is regenerated in a form substantially free of adsorbed organic material; separating said regenerated, granular activated carbon from said organic solvent containing dissolved organic material; combining said separated organic solvent with water, a solid catalyst comprising at least one transition element, and a peroxide as a reaction mixture; and adding photoenergy absorbable by said solid catalyst to said reaction mixture to yield an organic solvent substantially free of dissolved organic material and environmentally compatible reaction products comprising at least carbon dioxide.

Claim 33

An environmentally compatible process for purifying potable water and industrial waste water, said process comprising the steps of: obtaining water polluted with organic material; passing said polluted water through granular activated carbon such that said organic material is substantially adsorbed by said granular activated carbon and said water is substantially purified; mixing said granular activated carbon containing adsorbed organic material with an organic solvent such that said organic material becomes dissolved in said organic solvent and said granular activated carbon is regenerated in a form substantially free of adsorbed organic material; separating said regenerated, granular activated carbon from said organic solvent containing dissolved organic material; combining said separated organic solvent with water, a solid catalyst comprising at least one transition element, and a peroxide as a reaction mixture; and adding photoenergy absorbable by said solid catalyst to said reaction mixture to yield an organic solvent substantially free of dissolved organic material and environmentally compatible reaction products comprising at least carbon dioxide.

Claim 34

The process as recited in claim 28 wherein said organic solvent is acetonitrile.

Claim 35

The process as recited in claim 28 wherein said organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of alkylnitriles, N,N-dimethylacylamides, and dialkylsulfones.

Claim 36

The process as recited in claim 27 or 28 wherein said reaction mixture includes a detergent emulsified dispersion.

Claim 37

The process as recited in claim 27 or 28 wherein said solid catalyst is an oxide of a transition element.

Claim 38

The process as recited in claim 27 or 28 wherein said solid catalyst is titanium dioxide.

Claim 39

The process as recited in claim 27 or 28 wherein said peroxide is hydrogen peroxide.