Separation in a PCB-contaminated mineral oil system

Problems associated with the remediation of polychlorinated biphenyls-conta minated used mineral oils can be minimized by processing of the contaminate d oil using molecular distillation in a short-path evaporator with wiped fi lm, One distillation fraction yielded from molecular evaporator represents polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) concentrate, with the remaining distillati on fractions and residue showing PCBs contents far below allowable values, thus rendering them suitable for use for energy purposes or for regeneratio n. As a rule, the concentrate fraction makes up between 15 and 25% of the i nitial volume, and depends on PCB type, the mineral oil, as well as on the contamination intensity, Optimum parameters of the large-scale evaporator o peration can be determined based on the results of fractionation on a small laboratory molecular evaporator.