Closed loop system and process for conversion of gaseous or vaporizable organic and/or organo-metallic compounds to inert solid matrix resistant to solvent extraction

摘要

Closed system and process for the conversion of gaseous or vaporizable organic and/or organo-metallic compound to inert solid which is resistant to solvent extraction, and is itself essentially nontoxic or convertible through oxidation or other natural processes to a toxic material. This process involves a low temperature, low energy conversion in a close system, of an organic and/or organo-metallic material by initially fragmenting such material into its basic elements follow thereafter by randomly recombining such elements as a solid coating or deposit upon a substrate. In the preferred embodiments of this invention, the toxic and/or potentially toxic material is injected as a gaseous phase into a chamber where it is subjected to an RF energy source, thereby forming a plasma which is contained within the chamber by a magnetic field. The chamber, as well as, the other components of the conversion system are maintained under a negative pressure which allows for the transport of the plasma throughout the system to a second chamber where the elements of the plasma can recombine in a random fashion. The recombination of these elements as a solid allows for ease of handling and prevents their release into the atmosphere or ground water. Compounds which can be subjected to this process include chlorinatehydrocarbons i.e. , methylenechloride, carbontetrachloride and chlorofluorocarbons (i.e., Freons).