Removal of Mercury from Organic Liquids using SAMMS

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Removal of Mercury from Organic Liquids using
SAMMS
Separation Technologies for Mercury-Bearing
Waste Thomas Klasson (klassonkt_at_ornl.gov)

• New mercury removal and oil stabilization methods
  have been developed by ORNL.
• The stabilization technique was demonstrated with
  contaminated oil from Sandia National Laboratory.
• U.S. EPA is evaluating the method as an
  alternative for incineration.
• This was a collaborative effort between three
  national laboratories and private industry.

Blending of stabilization agents
Oil penetrating stabilization agent
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Removal of Mercury from Organic Liquids using
SAMMS
Separation Technologies for Mercury-Bearing
Waste Thomas Klasson (klassonkt_at_ornl.gov)
Removal of mercury from contaminated oil has been
tested at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The
method is based on mixing a heavy metals sorbent
powder (Self-Assembled Mercaptan on Mesoporous
Support, SAMMS) with oil for a predetermined time
followed by filtration to remove the
mercury-ladened sorbent. Oil containing high
concentrations of mercury must be incinerated
according to EPA but First Article Tests of a
stabilization method for greater than 260 mg
mercury/kg oil were performed under a
treatability study at ORNL. This alternative
treatment technology will address treatment of
U.S. Department of Energy organics (mainly used
pump oil) contaminated with mercury and other
heavy metals. Some of the oil is also
co-contaminated with tritium, other
radionuclides, and hazardous materials. The
technology is based on blending SAMMS with an oil
stabilization agent (Nochar N990 Petrobond) to
create a shredded-Styrofoam-like material that
soaks up oil and stabilize the oil and heavy
metals compounds dissolved in the oil. The
stabilized oil pass waste acceptance criteria for
at some of the waste disposal sites available to
the Department of Energy for radioactive waste.