Disposal of hazardous organic substances in supercritical water

Studies devoted to the eco-friendly disposal of hazardous organic substances (OS) and waste through oxidation in supercritical water (SCW) are reviewed. One advantage of using SCW is the possibility of complete and rapid oxidation of OS in closed systems. The oxidation rate is determined by the temperature, proportions between the reagents, bond dissociation energies, and solubility of OS in SCW, decreasing in the series aliphatic > aromatic, heterocyclic > polyaromatic compounds. The main oxidation products are carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water; sulfur, phosphorus, and halogens are converted into the respective mineral acids. There are a number of difficulties in the implementation of particular processes on the industrial scale, which impede the achievement of an acceptable performance of installations in terms of safety and stability. These difficulties are mainly associated with heterogeneous processes on the reactor walls, such as the corrosion of constructional materials and deposition of salts, which lead with time to changes in the kinetic characteristic of the main and coupled reactions.