Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) has several well documented applications. It may be used to purify a material by breaking down any contaminants present into harmless compounds, or to take a known hazardous material and break it down into simple, safe materials. In both instances, the goal is to ensure that no hazardous compounds remain in the final product or escape into the environment. Additional applications include converting biomass to biofuels, thermal gasification, and the conversion of plastics to fuels.
One example of SCWO’s potential comes from an application explored by the US Department of Defense. They wished to use SCWO for the purification of military personnels’ drinking water in combat zones. Supercritical fluid Technologies, Inc. (SFT) designed, and delivered two pilot scale SCWO units that eliminate contaminants, producing 15 gallons per hour of purified drinking water. Based on the success of this proof-of-concept work, designs for a larger unit capable of purifying 150 gallons per hour were completed.
Another application for this technology comes from the Iowa Energy Center at Iowa State University. SFT designed and built a specialized SCWO system to evaluate reaction pathways for biomass feedstock in the presence of various solvents. The goal was to determine optimal conditions for converting biomass into biofuels. This included biodiesel production, thermal gasification, and conversion of plastics to fuels.
SFT’s background with applications of Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) goes back to the founder’s experience in Graduate School at the University of Delaware where he worked to utilize SCWO technology to develop a safe method disposal of chemical weapons. When he founded the company, Dr. Kenneth James brought that knowledge with him, providing clients with custom solutions utilizing this innovative technology. Over its 30-year history, SFT has designed and constructed dozens of custom systems for our clients who have an interest in applying SCWO technology to their applications.
To learn more about our SCWO processing and other custom solutions for your unique and challenging application needs, please visit the custom Solutions page on SFT’s web site: https://www.supercriticalfluids.com/products/custom-solutions/subcriticalsupercritical-water-systems/