The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for PCB electrolysis invented by finding the fact that PCB itself can be decomposed by mixing an electrolysis promoting liquid such as water or acetonitrile solvent into virulently poisonous PCB containing liquid or soil and electrolyzing such a mixture.
The conventional PCB disposing apparatus and method include a high-temperature incinerating apparatus and method for staying and incinerating an atomized PCB for a time period of two or more seconds in a furnace heated up to a temperature equal to or higher than 1100 degrees Celsius and a chemical decomposing apparatus and method provided by the dechlorinating and decomposing system in which the chemical reaction is used to replace the chlorine of PCB with hydrogen to form a non-PCB substance.
In the conventional high-temperature incinerating system and method, there are various problems such as a difficulty of control in the furnace heated up to high temperature, an anxiety about ash containing non-decomposed PCB, low-temperature exhaust fumes providing a danger of producing coplanar PCB and dioxin, an anxiety about an agreement of neighborhood people and a difficulty in moving and disposing PCB after stored in the other place.
The conventional chemical decomposing system and method require a huge investment which is called to be about 40 hundred millions yen per plant. Moreover, there is a further problem in that PCB must be transported to and disposed in a specific plant.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a PCB electrolyzing method and apparatus, rather than the thermal and chemical decomposing systems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a PCB disposing apparatus and method which can overcome various problems such as a difficulty of control in the high-temperature incinerator, a problem in the generation of a poisonous gas due to incineration, a problem in disposing the ash containing non-decomposed PCB and a problem in the generation of coplanar PCB and dioxin and which can provide a portable PCB disposing unit capable of being moved to the PCB storage spot, can provide an inexpensive system in comparison with the large-scaled chemical decomposing plants and can obtain the agreement of neighborhood people based on its higher safety.
The inventors have embodied the apparatus and method of the present invention by finding that PCB itself can be decomposed by electrolyzing a PCB containing liquid from the result of every effort to overcome the aforementioned problems in the prior art.
Although the prior art has not had an idea to electrolyze PCB which has been used as an electrically insulating oil by causing electricity to pass through the PCB, the inventors directed their attention to the fact that when water was added into PCB, the latter became electrically conductive. Thus, the inventors obtained an apparatus and method for electrolyzing PCB by extracting and replacing the chlorine of the PCB with hydrogen when a high-voltage current is passed through a mixture of PCB and water to electrolyze both the water and PCB.
In other words, the present invention provides a PCB electrolyzing apparatus characterized by comprising a container for receiving polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) or PCB containing liquid or a tank for receiving the PCB containing liquid from the container, wherein an electrolysis promoting liquid such as water or acetonitrile solvent is mixed into PCB to form a liquid mixture, an inserting portion having a metallic anode electrode rod or plate and a metallic cathode electrode rot or plate, which are to be inserted into the liquid mixture to electrolyze the PCB, and a main body portion connected to the inserting portion through a cable for producing a high-voltage current.
Moreover, the system of the present invention may promote the electrolysis of PCB by using an electric-wave rod for generating an electric wave such as supersonic wave, short wave, high frequency and the like to improve the efficiency of mixing the PCB and water as well as the electrical conductivity of the mixture.
In addition, if the system of the present invention has an agitating device for agitating the liquid mixture of PCB, the electrolysis of PCB may be further promoted since the upper layer of oil is further stirred by the agitating device.
The present invention further provides a PCB disposing system and method which can regulate the voltage and current to adjust the concentration and amount of PCB.
The present invention further provides a PCB electrolyzing system and method which is characterized by a plurality of the aforementioned electrode rods or plates and a plurality of electric-wave rods and which can perform a large-scaled process for disposing the PCB.
The present invention further provides a PCB disposing method comprising a first step of introducing an electrolysis promoting liquid such as water or acetonitrile solvent into a container holding PCB or PCB containing liquid or a tank received the PCB containing liquid from the container and mixing the electrolysis promoting liquid with the PCB containing liquid, a second step of increasing the electrical conductivity of the liquid mixture using an electric-wave rod for producing an electric wave such as supersonic wave, short wave, high-frequency wave or the like as well as an agitating device, and a third step of electrolyzing the PCB using an anode electrode rod or plate and a cathode electrode rod or plate, which are made of metal and which are connected to a main body portion for producing a high-voltage current through a cable.
A PCB electrolyzing apparatus and method according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Referring to
The present invention provides the PCB disposing system and method which is useful for the early extermination on the deadly poison PCB involving various severe problems in Japan and the world, such as deterioration of the PCB storage places, leakage of the PCB due to a disaster such as earthquakes or the like, personnel expenses with the severe PCB storage, maintenance costs for facilities and repairs.
A further feature of the present invention is that a great variety of smaller and larger electrolysis systems using the same principle can be developed as series. For smaller scale, the electrolysis system of the present invention may be mounted on a movable vehicle so that it can be moved to any PCB storage place. For larger scale, the system of the present invention may be installed as a large-scaled plant.
The present invention can dispose the PCB which has been employed as insulation oil in high- and low-voltage transformers. Even the remaining PCB in a transformer can be electrolyzed by pouring any electrolyzing liquid such as water into the container of the transformer.
PCB used as sealant in a high-voltage capacitor can similarly be disposed.
The PCB disposing system of the present invention can further be used to dispose insulating oils which have been used in power stations; buildings; hospitals; railways such as subways, the Sinkansen and other; capacitors in ships and jet airplanes.
The PCB disposing system of the present invention can further be used to electrolyze and wash PCB by placing PCB-polluted containers in a large-sized disposing tank.
The PCB disposing system of the present invention can further be used to dispose dioxin. The PCB disposing system of the present invention may be used as a soil clarifier in which PCB- or dioxin-polluted soil is placed in a disposing tank and then water is poured into the tank to mix it with the PCB for electrolysis.
The PCB disposing system of the present invention can be used to dispose the PCB by moving it to any PCB storage plane without movement of the PCB.
The PCB disposing system of the present invention can be used to dispose the PCB by placing PCB polluted containers in a large-scaled disposing tank and then inserting the inserting portion of the present invention into the tank. The PCB disposing system of the present invention can be manufactured very inexpensively.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2001-191987 | May 2001 | JP | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10478455 | Nov 2003 | US |
Child | 11515683 | Sep 2006 | US |