A process for the purification of organochlorine contaminated activated carbon: Sequential solvent purging and reductive dechlorination

A system for the purification of organochlorine contaminated activated carbon is described. The system involves a continuous flow of aqueous ethanol to purge organochlorines from activated carbon. The organochlorine laden solvent is simultaneously treated with zero valent zinc as the bulk electron source, water as the proton source and the electron shuttle cyanocobalamin as a catalyst for reductive dechlorination. The system was characterised by performing batch reactions and extractions before being applied in a continuous flow system. In particular the ratio of water to ethanol in the system needed to be optimised. Water is needed for the reductive dechlorination reaction whilst it is not conducive to the extraction process. An 80% ethanolic solution was found to give optimal reductive dechlorination rates without compromising extraction of organochlorines from activated carbon. Of three electron shuttles evaluated cyanocobalamin was discovered to be the most relevant to the system with respect to reductive dechlorination rates and its ability to avoid absorption to activated carbon.