This invention relates to a process for the treatment of organic wastes, resulting from the extraction of metal elements by a solvent of the phosphoric acid ester type in the presence or not of an organic diluent. These organic wastes result in particular from the extraction of metals in radiochemical separation plants, especially in plants for the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuels. The process according to this invention comprises the following three main steps: A. separation of the phos...

A process is disclosed for the removal of colorants from industrial dye waste solutions which involves the treatment of the waste with a solution of a Group IA or IIA metal halide or sulfate to precipitate the colorant, which subsequently is removed by common solid separation techniques as a dense material of relatively high solids content. The process is particularly suitable for integration into a dyeing process to increase color fastness of the dyed article.

Wastewater treatment wastes, such as skimmings or sludges, are processed so as to reduce the water content by approximately two thirds and increase the impurities content thereof. The wastes are passed over a dense supply of very fine bubbles. These fine bubbles assist in floating impurities within the wastes to result in the formation of an upper stratum of gas, residual water and a concentrated impurities content and of a lower stratum that is primarily water, after which the upper and lower s...

A method for recovering nickel from waste materials containing nickel is described which comprises the steps of (a) subjecting a mixture of the waste material and a nickel-containing ore to oxidizing conditions at an elevated temperature, (b) melting the oxidized mixture, (c) subjecting the melt to reducing conditions, and (d) recovering the desired nickel. More particularly, an inexpensive method is described for increasing the nickel content and/or production of ferronickel obtained from nicke...

Solid trash is comminuted and classified into an organic fraction and a metals-inorganic fraction. The organic fraction is processed for recovery of paper pulp and the residue pyrolysed. The metals-inorganic fraction is processed for recovery of each major metal and inorganic constituent.

Highly colored tannin bodies and other suspended solids are separated from highly alkaline vegetable tannery waste effluent by scrubbing hot combustion gas with the effluent, introducing polyacrylamide flocculant into the effluent either immediately before scrubbing or during scrubbing, and separating floatable foam and settleable solids from the effluent after scrubbing. The effluent may be treated with a soluble salt of a trivalent metal before scrubbing to act as a primary flocculant.

A waste containing organic solids is fed into a boiler after it has been subjected to a hydrothermal reaction treatment in the presence of water. A slurry containing the waste is held under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions to cause a hydrothermal reaction such that an acidic slurry is formed during part of or throughout the process of the hydrothermal reaction. Thereby the content of oxygen in the waste relative to carbon atoms in building molecules of the waste is reduced. This con...

A process for treating the organic fraction of solid waste material with acid at an elevated temperature to form an embrittled material reducible to a powdered fuel having a caloric value and weight (on a dry basis) essentially equivalent to the waste material from which it was formed. The density of the fuel may be materially increased over that of the original waste material without the expenditure of excessive energy such as would be required in the grinding of untreated waste. The resulting ...

A method for reclaiming variegated wastes such as garbage, sewage, and saline dredging spoils includes the primary step of desalinization of the dredging spoils by draining off the salty water. The garbage is cleaned of non-organic material, and the remaining material is shredded and reduced to a slurry. The slurry is mixed with raw or primarily treated sewage and the treated spoils, and pumped through a pipe-line to a treatment and reclamation area. In transit, the clay particles within the dre...

A method and apparatus for treating wastes by two-stage gasification recovers metals or ash content in the wastes in such a state that they can be recycled, and gases containing carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen gas (H.sub.2) for use as synthesis gas for ammonia (NH.sub.3) or production of hydrogen gas. The wastes are gasified in a fluidized-bed reactor at a low temperature. Then, gaseous material and char produced in the fluidized-bed reactor are introduced into a high-temperature combustor, an...