Method and apparatus using hydrogen peroxide and microwave system for slurries treatment

Abstract

A method and apparatus for treating slurries of organic solids is disclosed. A slurry of organic solids is admixed with hydrogen peroxide, followed by exposure to microwave irradiation resulting in the heating of the mixture and enhanced hydrolysis of the organic solids. The treated slurry of organic solids can then be further treated in a variety of downstream processes, including solid separation, digestion and fermentation. The supernatant portion of the treated slurry of organic solids can be a source from which to recover compounds such as nutrients (for example nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, magnesium, calcium) or industrial organic compounds (such as acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid), or as a source of readily biodegradable organic compounds for supplementing a biological wastewater treatment process, digester or fermenter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for treating a slurry comprising organic solids suspended in water, the system comprising:
 an inlet for receiving the slurry;   a reaction zone downstream from the inlet;   one or more peroxide injection ports at or upstream from the reaction zone, the peroxide ports connected to a supply of a peroxide-containing material;   a microwave source disposed to irradiate the slurry in the reaction zone, producing treated slurry; and,   an outlet for delivering the treated slurry downstream from the reaction zone.   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1  comprising a separation means connected to receive treated slurry from the outlet, for separating treated slurry into a supernatant part and a suspended solids-containing part. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 2  comprising a mineral crystallization means connected to receive the supernatant part for crystallizing dissolved minerals from the supernatant part. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 3  wherein the mineral crystallization means comprises a means for adding soluble ammonium or magnesium to the supernatant part. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to any one of  claims 1  to  4  comprising a further treatment means connected to receive the suspended solids-containing part from the separation means, the further treatment means comprising means selected from the group of an anaerobic digester, a fermenter, an acidifier, a fixed film bioreactor, an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor, a hybrid suspended/attached growth bioreactor, and an acid hydrolysis reactor.