The present invention relates to a process for treating aqueous effluents containing formaldehyde by distillation in the presence of acetic acid, in particular to a process for treating aqueous solutions resulting from the synthesis of acrylic acid. The invention also relates to the use of the purified aqueous solution in a process for producing acrylic acid by catalytic oxidation of propylene and/or propane in steam dilution.

A method of removing from water at least one of algae, bacteria, toxins produced by algae, toxins produced by bacteria, and algae nutrients by placing an open-cell foam material into the water, leaving the material in the water for sufficient time to adsorb/absorb at least one of algae, their toxins, and their nutrients, and then removing the open-cell foam material from the water.

A method for treatment of mixed electroplating wastewater without a cyanide and a phosphorus-containing reductant without a cyanide and a phosphorus-containing reductant. A ferrous chloride solution is added into electroplating wastewater without a cyanide and a phosphorus-containing reductant. The pH of wastewater is adjusted to 10.5-12. Pollutants such as sodium cyanide and hydroxyl-containing organic amine complexants are oxidized with sodium hypochlorite. Carboxyl-containing organic acid complexants are precipitated. Hexavalent chromium is reduced to trivalent chromium to form chromium hydroxide precipitate. Precipitate is removed by filtering and wastewater is adjusted to pH 4.5-5.5. Heavy metal ions are precipitated with sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate or sodium diethyldithiocarbamate. Precipitate and heavy metal capturing agents are adsorbed with activated carbon followed by removal of precipitate. Wastewater is adjusted to pH 6-8. Aliphatic polyamine complexants are destroyed using an available biological degradation technique to reduce chemical oxygen demand.

Disclosed is a method for the treatment and resource utilization of acidic organic wastewater, comprising: (1) performing activated sludge treatment on acidic organic wastewater; and (2) performing microalgae treatment on the acidic organic wastewater treated in step (1). By means of the combination of activated sludge treatment and microalgae treatment, the present invention can significantly reduce the COD of the acidic organic wastewater. In some embodiments, the use of acclimated activated sludge or activated sludge having a specific microbial flora structure can not only improve the treatment efficiency while shortening the treatment time, but also omit a pH value adjustment step without causing sludge accumulation.

Methods and compositions for the adsorptive removal of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) from contaminated water sources and systems. The compositions contain carbon fly ash doped with silver nanoparticles at specific mass ratios. Methods of preparing and characterizing the adsorbents are also provided.

A method of oxidizing a component of an aqueous medium is provided. The method includes adding an effective amount of an oxidizing composition to the aqueous medium. The oxidizing composition includes an ingredient, such as hydrogen peroxide, a percarbonate salt, a peroxy compound, a chlorite or alkali metal salt thereof, a chlorate or alkali metal salt thereof, or any combination thereof. The method also includes oxidizing the component. The component may be a metal, a mineral, a microbial metabolite, an organic molecule, or combination thereof. The method also includes modulating the application of the oxidizing composition based on a measured aqueous medium parameter.

A neutralization/water separation tank for an esterified product including: a neutralization part in which a crude product mixture containing alcohol and an ester compound, a neutralizing agent, and water are put to produce a neutralized mixture; a water separation part which divides the neutralized mixture into a floating layer and an aqueous layer; a first partition wall which extends upward from a bottom surface to provide an upper passage and by which the neutralization part and the water separation part are partitioned; and a second partition wall which extends downward from a ceiling to provide a lower passage, wherein the water separation part includes: a first water separation part into which the neutralized mixture is introduced from the neutralization part through the upper passage; and a second water separation part into which the neutralized mixture is introduced from the first water separation part through the lower passage, wherein the first water separation part and the second water separation part are partitioned by the second partition wall.

Disclosed are stable zero-valent metal and oxidized black carbon admixtures and their use, to catalyze rapid reductive degradation reactions in aqueous solutions. The compositions and remediation methods are used in the non-explosive neutralization and decomposition of ammonium nitrate.

The present invention is directed to a composition for use in recovering an alcohol from an aqueous solution the composition comprising: a) a recovery solution comprising at least one tertiary amine containing compound and at least one enolisable carbonyl; and, b) an aqueous process solution comprising the alcohol, wherein the recovery solution and the aqueous process solution are in direct contact, not miscible and at least a portion of the alcohol migrates from the aqueous process solution into the recovery solution.

Processes and systems for treating Kraft pulping foul condensate are provided. The processes comprise removing volatile compounds from the foul condensate to produce a resulting condensate and removing methanol from the resulting condensate. The systems comprise a volatile compound removal stage and a methanol removal stage downstream of and in fluid communication with the volatile removal stage.