Scaling-up of a Novel Biphasic Process for the Degradation of Waste Chlorinated Solvents using Reactive Iron Nanoparticles

含氯化学液体，如三氯乙烯（TCE）和四氯乙烯（PCE），由于其低可燃性和优异的溶解油脂的能力，被广泛应用于许多工业过程，如干洗和金属脱脂。然而，它们对人类和环境也有很大的毒性，人类接触它们会导致癌症和神经系统疾病。由于意外泄漏和处置技术不当，这些有毒液体在许多地点造成了广泛的土壤和地下水污染，最终可能威胁到饮用水系统。目前处理三氯乙烯和四氯乙烯污染废物的做法包括焚烧、使用刺激性化学品或微生物降解等过程，这些过程有时会产生毒性更大的产品。通过我们的研究，我们开发了一种创新的清洁技术，不仅使用无毒成分完全消除TCE和PCE，而且还产生良性和经济可行的气体乙烯和乙烷。我们的技术采用极小（纳米级）的铁颗粒、食盐，以及少量由细菌产生的表面活性剂（肥皂），快速瞄准并破坏水中或其散装有机液相中的TCE和PCE。通过I2I NSERC拨款，我们建议在一个按比例放大的20L反应器中成功演示实验室规模的结果，该反应器可以以经济的方式完全消除5公斤的TCE和PCE。扩大后的结果将有助于建立一家分拆公司的基础，该公司将提供最先进的清洁技术，用于处理含氯有毒液体。我们的技术引起了几家对氯化溶剂污染清理感兴趣的公司的兴趣。研究团队将包括一名博士后和一名硕士生，一名具有商业化经验的经验丰富的导师，并得到麦吉尔大学技术转移办公室的支持。

Chlorine containing chemical liquids, such trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) are used widely in a number of industrial processes such as dry cleaning and metal degreasing because of their low flammability and excellent ability to dissolve grease. However they are also very toxic to humans and the environment Exposure in humans can cause cancer and neurological diseases. Due to accidental spills and improper disposal techniques, these toxic liquids have caused extensive soil and groundwater contamination in many sites, which can eventually threaten drinking water systems. Current practices to handle TCE and PCE contaminated waste include processes like incineration, degradation by harsh chemicals or microbes which can sometimes produce even more toxic products. Through our research, we have developed an innovative clean technology which not only uses non-toxic components to completely eliminate TCE and PCE but also produces benign and economically viable gases ethene and ethane. Our technology employs extremely small (nano-sized) particles of iron, table salt, along with small amounts of surfactants (soap) produced by bacteria, to rapidly target and destroy TCE and PCE in water or their bulk organic liquid phases. Through this I2I NSERC grant we propose to successfully demonstrate the lab scale results in a scaled up 20L reactor which can completely eliminate 5 kilograms of TCE and PCE, in an economical way. The scaled up results will help establish the foundation of a spin off company that will provide a state of the art clean technologies for treatment of toxic chlorine containing liquids. Our technology has generated interested from several companies with interest in chlorinated solvent contamination clean-up. The research team will include a postdoctoral fellow and a Masters' student, an experienced mentor with experience in commercialization, and has the support of the technology transfer office at McGill.