Physicochemical modifications of radioactive oil sludge by ozone treatment

Abstract

An experimental study on the degradation of organic compounds from radioactive oil sludge by the ozonation process is presented. The effects of different concentrations of ozone in the oil sludge degradation over time were investigated. The experiments were performed in a 0.125 L glass reactor with magnetic stirring and a diffuser plate at the bottom to feed the ozone. The ozone concentration varied from 13 to 53 mg L−1 and the total interaction time was 1 h. To investigate the physicochemical properties of the oil sludge (solid and liquid components) prior to and after the treatment, multiple analytical characterization methods were used: Thermal Gravimetric Analysis, X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, Spectrophotometer, and Residual Gas Analyzer. The most perceptive change is in the color of the liquid medium turned from dark brown to light yellow, especially under ozone concentrations higher than 33 mg L−1. Absorbance values decreased about 3.5 times after 30 min of treatment with [O3] =53 mg L−1. FTIR spectroscopy showed that the bands associated with the CH3 and CeH in CH2 disappeared during treatment. On the other hand, a greater presence of C]C aromatics was observed. By residual gas analysis, various organic and inorganic gases were identified during the treatment, such as CH4, H2, CO2, and H2S. Finally, the ozonation of the oil sludge proved to be effective, due to its high reaction capacity.