Claims
- 1. A method for dehalogenating a halocarbon comprising:
providing a supply of a halocarbon; and combining said halocarbon with a solvent and a hydrogen donor composition in the presence of a catalyst in order to cause a reaction which generates a dehalogenated product from said halocarbon, said solvent being maintained at a supercritical state during said reaction.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said solvent has a critical temperature (Tc) and a critical pressure (Pc) said solvent being maintained during said reaction at a temperature (T)=about (Tc) to [(2)(Tc)] and a pressure (P)=about (Pc) to [(50)(Pc)].
- 3. A method for dehalogenating a halocarbon comprising:
providing a supply of a halocarbon; and combining said halocarbon with a solvent and a hydrogen donor composition in the presence of a catalyst in order to cause a reaction which generates a dehalogenated product from said halocarbon, said solvent having a critical temperature (Tc) and a critical pressure (Pc), wherein said solvent is maintained at a temperature (T)≧(Tc) and a pressure (P)≦(Pc) during said reaction.
- 4. The method of claim 3 wherein said pressure (P) of said solvent during said reaction is ≧about [(0.1)(Pc)].
- 5. The method of claim 3 wherein said temperature (T) of said solvent during said reaction =about (Tc) to [(2)(Tc)].
- 6. A method for dehalogenating a halocarbon comprising:
providing a supply of a halocarbon; and combining said halocarbon with a solvent and a hydrogen donor composition in the presence of a catalyst in order to cause a reaction which generates a dehalogenated product from said halocarbon, said solvent having a critical temperature (Tc) and a critical pressure (Pc), wherein said solvent is maintained at a temperature (T)≦(Tc) and a pressure (P)≧(Pc) during said reaction.
- 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said temperature (T) of said solvent during said reaction is ≧about [(0.9)(Tc)].
- 8. The method of claim 6 wherein said pressure (P) of said solvent during said reaction =about (Pc) to [(50)(Pc)].
- 9. A method for dehalogenating a halocarbon comprising:
providing a supply of a halocarbon; and combining said halocarbon with a solvent and a hydrogen donor composition in the presence of a catalyst in order to cause a reaction which generates a dehalogenated product from said halocarbon, said solvent having a critical temperature (Tc) and a critical pressure (Pc) wherein said solvent is maintained at a temperature (T)≦(Tc) and a pressure (P) which is ≧about [(0.1)(Pc)] and ≦(Pc) during said reaction.
- 10. The method of claim 9 wherein said temperature (T) of said solvent during said reaction is ≧about [(0.9)(Tc)].
- 11. A method for dehalogenating a halocarbon comprising:
providing a supply of a halocarbon; and combining said halocarbon with a solvent and a hydrogen donor composition in the presence of a catalyst in order to cause a reaction which generates a dehalogenated product from said halocarbon, said solvent having a critical temperature (Tc) and a critical pressure (Pc) wherein said solvent is maintained at a pressure (P)≦(Pc) and a temperature (T) which is ≧about [(0.9)(Tc)] and ≦(Tc) during said reaction.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein said pressure (P) of said solvent during said reaction is ≧about [(0.1)(Pc)].
- 13. A method for dehalogenating a halocarbon comprising:
providing a supply of a halocarbon; and combining said halocarbon with a hydrogen-containing solvent in the presence of a catalyst in order to cause a reaction which generates a dehalogenated product from said halocarbon, said solvent being maintained at a supercritical state during said reaction.
- 14. The method of claim 13 further comprising combining a supplemental hydrogen donor composition with said halocarbon and said solvent in order to generate said dehalogenated product.
- 15. The method of claim 13 wherein said solvent has a critical temperature (Tc) and a critical pressure (Pc), said solvent being maintained during said reaction at a temperature (T)=about (Tc) to [(2)(Tc)] and a pressure (P)=about (Pc) to [(50)(Pc)].
- 16. A method for dehalogenating a halocarbon comprising:
providing a supply of a halocarbon; and combining said halocarbon with a hydrogen-containing solvent in the presence of a catalyst in order to cause a reaction which generates a dehalogenated product from said halocarbon, said solvent having a critical temperature (Tc) and a critical pressure (Pc), wherein said solvent is maintained at a temperature (T)≧(Tc) and a pressure (P)≦(Pc) during said reaction.
- 17. The method of claim 16 further comprising combining a supplemental hydrogen donor composition with said halocarbon and said solvent in order to generate said dehalogenated product.
- 18. The method of claim 16 wherein said pressure (P) of said solvent during said reaction is ≧about [(0.1)(Pc)].
- 19. The method of claim 16 wherein said temperature (T) of said solvent during said reaction =about (Tc) to [(2)(Tc)].
- 20. A method for dehalogenating a halocarbon comprising:
providing a supply of a halocarbon; and combining said halocarbon with a hydrogen-containing solvent in the presence of a catalyst in order to cause a reaction which generates a dehalogenated product from said halocarbon, said solvent having a critical temperature (Tc) and a critical pressure (Pc) wherein said solvent is maintained at a temperature (T)≦(Tc) and a pressure (P)≧(Pc) during said reaction.
- 21. The method of claim 20 further comprising combining a supplemental hydrogen donor composition with said halocarbon and said solvent in order to generate said dehalogenated product.
- 22. The method of claim 20 wherein said temperature (T) of said solvent during said reaction is ≧about [(0.9)(Tc)].
- 23. The method of claim 20 wherein said pressure (P) of said solvent during said reaction=about (Pc) to [(50) (Pc)].
- 24. A method for dehalogenating a halocarbon comprising:
providing a supply of a halocarbon; and combining said halocarbon with a hydrogen-containing solvent in the presence of a catalyst in order to cause a reaction which generates a dehalogenated product from said halocarbon, said solvent having a critical temperature (Tc) and a critical pressure (Pc), wherein said solvent is maintained at a temperature (T)≦(Tc) and a pressure (P) which is ≧about [(0.1)(Pc)]and ≦(Pc) during said reaction.
- 25. The method of claim 24 further comprising combining a supplemental hydrogen donor composition with said halocarbon and said solvent in order to generate said dehalogenated product.
- 26. The method of claim 24 wherein said temperature (T) of said solvent during said reaction is ≧about [(0.9)(Tc)].
- 27. A method for dehalogenating a halocarbon comprising:
providing a supply of a halocarbon; and combining said halocarbon with a hydrogen-containing solvent in the presence of a catalyst in order to cause a reaction which generates a dehalogenated product from said halocarbon, said solvent having a critical temperature (Tc) and a critical pressure (Pc), wherein said solvent is maintained at a pressure (P)≦(Pc) and a temperature (T) which is ≧about [(0.9)(Tc)] and ≦(Tc) during said reaction.
- 28. The method of claim 27 further comprising combining a supplemental hydrogen donor composition with said halocarbon and said solvent in order to generate said dehalogenated product.
- 29. The method of claim 27 wherein said pressure (P) of said solvent during said reaction is ≦about [(0.1)(Pc)].
CONTRACTUAL ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention was made with United States Government support under contract number DE-AC07-99ID13727, awarded by the United States Department of Energy. The United States has certain rights in this invention.