Volatile organic compounds removal from aqueous solutions

Removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from aqueous solutions by pervaporation... 

In contrast, organophilic PV membranes are used for removal of (volatile) organic compounds from aqueous solutions. They are typically made of rubbery polymers (elastomers). Cross-linked silicone rubber (PDMS) is the state-of-the-art for the selective barrier [1, 43, 44]. Nevertheless, glassy polymers (e.g., substituted polyacetylene or poly(l-(trimethylsilyl)-l-propyne, PTMSP) were also observed to be preferentially permeable for organics from water. Polyether-polyamide block-copolymers, combining permeable hydrophilic and stabilizing hydrophobic domains within one material, are also successfully used as a selective barrier. 

Sirkar KK, Yang D, Majumdar S, Kovenklioglu S, and Sengupta A. Hollow fiber-containing liquid membrane pervaporation for removal of volatile organic compounds from aqueous solution. Patent No. US 5637224 Kind A Date 19970610. 

When hydrophobic membranes, such as those made of silicone rubber material, are used for the separation of an aqueous solution, organic components of the mixture permeate preferentially through the membrane [341]. Thus, it is possible to remove and concentrate organic contaminants in the industrial waste water. This principle was applied by Membrane Technology Rc.scarch Inc., CA, using their membranes and membrane modules similar to those developed for the separation of volatile organic compounds from air (Figure 10.32). One... 

Step 4. The steam-volatile neutral compounds. The solution (containing water-soluble neutral compounds obtained in Step 1 is usually very dilute. It is advisable to concentrate it by distillation until about one-third to one-half of the original volume is collected as distillate the process may be repeated if necessary and the progress of the concentration may be followed by determination of the densities of the distillates. It is frequently possible to salt out the neutral components from the concentrated distillate by saturating it with solid potassium carbonate. If a layer of neutral compound makes its appearance, remove it. Treat this upper layer (which usually contains much water) with solid anhydrous potassium carbonate if another aqueous layer forms, separate the upper organic layer and add more anhydrous potassium carbonate to it. Identify the neutral compound. 

Post-combustion capture using chemical absorption by aqueous alkaline amine solutions has been used for C02 and H2S removal from gas-treating plants for decades [6]. Amines react rapidly, selectively and reversibly with C02 and can be applied at low C02 partial pressure conditions. Amines are volatile, cheap and safe in handling. They show several disadvantages as they are also corrosive and require the use of resistant materials. Furthermore, amines form stable salts in the presence of O2, SOx and other impurities such as particles, HC1, HF and organic and inorganic Fig trace compounds that extremely constrain the content of those compounds in the treated gas. 

Tetramethylsilane became the established internal reference compound for H NMR because it has a strong, sharp resonance line from its 12 protons, with a chemical shift at low resonance frequency relative to almost all other H resonances. Thus, addition of TMS usually does not interfere with other resonances. Moreover, TMS is quite volatile, hence may easily be removed if recovery of the sample is required. TMS is soluble in most organic solvents but has very low solubility in water and is not generally used as an internal reference in aqueous solutions. Other substances with references close to that of TMS have been employed, and the methyl proton resonance of 2,2-dimethylsilapentane-5-sulfonic acid (DSS) at low concentration has emerged as the reference recommended by IUPAC for aqueous solutions.55 Careful measurements of the DSS-TMS chemical shift difference when both materials are dissolved at low concentration in the same solvent have shown that for DSS 5 = + 0.0173 ppm in water, and 8 = — 0.0246 ppm in dimethyl sulfoxide. Thus, for most purposes, values of 8 measured with respect to TMS or DSS can be used interchangeably. 

Current processes for the manufacture of trinitrotoluene (TNT) produce atmospheric and water pollution that is only partly relieved by mechanical clean-up methods. TNT is currently produced from toluene by successive mono-, di-, and trinitrations with mixed aqueous nitric and sulfuric acids in the first two steps and anhydrous mixed acid in the last. Each stage in the current process is conducted at elevated temperatures, and side reactions in the overall process directly produce thousands of pounds of oxides of nitrogen, sulfuric acid aerosols, and volatile nitro organic products (such as tetranitromethane and nitroaro-matics). These pollutants derive from the thermal decomposition of the aqueous nitric acid solutions, from oxidative side reactions that produce as many as 40 by-product compounds, and from formation of unsymmetrlcal "meta" Isomers. Since symmetrical TNT is inevitably accompanied by meta isomers as well as oxidation products, the crude material is treated with sodium sulfite solutions to remove the undesirable Isomers and nitroaromatics by derivatization. The spent sulfite solution, known as "red water, is then disposed of by combustion to an inorganic ash. Itself a disposal problem. 

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