Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Processes and products – Processes of treating materials by wave energy
Patent
1992-02-25
1994-04-05
Niebling, John
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Processes and products
Processes of treating materials by wave energy
588200, 588219, 588227, 588243, 422186, 42218621, 42218625, 42218629, B01D 5300
Patent
active
053002024
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process and a device for disposing of organic vapors, in particular of solvent vapors, and the use of the process in related fields.
Background of the Invention
During a filling of containers or tankers with volatile solvents, the air in the container, which is saturated with solvent, is removed from the container. The higher the vapor pressure at a given temperature and thus the saturation concentration of the solvent is, the more solvent is removed to the outside. Since many solvents, as for example the chlorinated hydrocarbons, are damaging to the environment and/or are poisonous, attempts are increasingly being made to capture the solvent vapors automatically exiting during the filling operation and to dispose of these in a chemical or physical manner. Catalytic combustion can be utilized, however, it requires a highly technical and structurally complicated means and does not lead to the desired result for many solvent vapors.
Summary of the Invention
Starting out from this, the basic purpose of the invention is to provide a process and a device of the above-mentioned type, with which the organic vapors can be disposed of with relatively simple physical means and can thus be rendered harmless.
The invention is based on a principle of physics that the free electrons always existing in a gaseous surrounding are oscillatorily accelerated by an electric alternating field, are deflected, by initially elastic collisions with the gas molecules, from their path and are thus slowly heated up until nonelastic dissociation and ionization collisions with the gas molecules occurs. Through ionization, further electrons are freed for the collision process so that with a sufficient energy input from the electric alternating field, a large number of dissociation collisions can quickly result. Since the dissociation energy of the higher molecular vapor molecules is less than the accompanying air molecules, it is preferred to split the organic vapor molecules. Accordingly, it is suggested by the invention that the organic vapors are guided through an electromagnetic alternating field and are there ionized and/or dissociated by energy absorption (electromagnetic pyrolysis). According to the invention, the organic vapors are subjected to a standing electromagnetic wave and are ionized in same and/or dissociated by energy absorption. The organic vapors are thereby transmitted preferably transversely or at an angle with respect to the direction of expansion of the standing wave in the region of a maximum amplitude of the electric field vector and are there ionized and/or dissociated.
Following the splitting process, the dissociation products are advantageously recombined forming low-molecular nontoxic end products, and/or are washed out and/or are flared off.
According to a preferred embodiment of the process of the invention, the organic vapors are mixed with a carrier gas prior to being transmitted, preferably sucked, through the electromagnetic alternating field. Air can, for example, be utilized as the carrier gas with the total pressure of the carrier gas/vapor mixture being able to be adjusted to preferably 20 to 200 mbar. However, a relatively complicated apparatus is needed to produce these reduced pressures. In order to avoid complications, it is suggested according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention that an inert gas, in particular argon (technical argon) or helium be used as the carrier gas. The total pressure of the carrier gas/vapor mixture can in this case be adjusted close to atmospheric pressure, preferably to 0.7 to 1 bar. The partial vapor pressure should be approximately 20 to 300 mbar in this case.
The addition of carrier gas has furthermore the advantage that the gas temperature, in spite of relatively high electron temperatures, can be kept low, preferably lower than 500.degree. C. The field strength of the electromagnetic field and the gas density are advantageously adjusted to one another such that the organic vapor molecules can be
REFERENCES:
patent: 4438706 (1984-03-01), Boday et al.
patent: 4644877 (1987-02-01), Barton et al.
patent: 5137701 (1992-08-01), Mundt
Delacroix-Muirheid Cybille
Niebling John
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