Reactivities of polystyrenic polymers with supercritical water under nitrogen or air. Identification and formation of degradation compounds

Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) could offer a viable treatment alternative to destroy the organic structure of ion-exchange resins (IER) that are radioactive process wastes and which contain radioactivity. The GC/MS technique was used successfully to identify the low-concentration degradation compounds that are present in the cold liquid effluent after SCWO of polystyrenic IER at 380 degrees C (25.5 MPa). The study of the behavior of these IER in supercritical water enhances the role of temperature and the role of supercritical water in the degradation process. With the exception of acetic acid, the identified compounds are aromatic. The functional groups are released during the heating time, and they do not interfere in the degradation process. The oxidation involves a complex set of reaction pathways. A mechanism including parallel and competitive reactions is proposed.