Processes to reduce the environmental availability of environmental pollutants

Abstract

The present invention provides a process for reducing the environmental availability of one or more environmental pollutants in solids, liquids, and solid-liquid formulations. [Solution] This process involves adding and / or applying a halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent to a substance. The adsorbent comprises one or more halogens selected from sulfur, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and / or iodine, as well as one or more substrate materials. The halogens in the adsorbent are from material sources selected from elemental halogens, hydrohalic acids, alkali metal halides, alkaline earth metal halides, and ammonium halides. Adding and / or applying a halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent to a pollutant-containing substance reduces the environmental availability of at least some of one or more environmental pollutants in the substance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the purification of environmental pollutants in order to reduce the environmental availability of environmental pollutants.

Background Art

[0002] Many pollutants are known to be toxic to humans and the environment. Mercury, one of these known environmental pollutants, is classified as a priority hazardous substance by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of the US Department of Health and Human Services. The US National Priorities List (NPL) maintained by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists a number of sites contaminated with mercury. Such sites contain a variety of pollutants, including solids (e.g., soil, debris, waste), liquids (e.g., groundwater, lakes, ponds), and combinations of solids and liquids (e.g., sediment, slurry, deposits). Most of these sites have not been decontaminated to remove mercury. Unacceptable levels of mercury or mercury compounds may also be present at sites not listed in the US NPL. Similar concerns exist for environmental pollutants other than mercury.

[0003] Mercury contamination can occur from a variety of different sources (e.g., mining and ore processes, chlor-alkali plants, battery manufacturing processes). There are also many landfill sites contaminated with mercury-containing waste. Moreover, mercury pollutants exist in multiple forms, including metallic mercury, organic mercury compounds, and inorganic mercury compounds, and are present in many locations at the same site. Different mercury forms and / or different substances often require different treatment methods.

[0004] Materials contaminated with mercury tend to also contain multiple other environmental pollutants. For example, some materials are also contaminated with organic matter and / or other heavy metals, and these other environmental pollutants present similar challenges. Therefore, depending on the contaminated material, the state of the material, the type of waste, the form of mercury, and other contaminants and environmental pollutants present, reducing the environmental availability of environmental pollutants at a particular location can be technically difficult and costly. Reducing the environmental availability of environmental pollutants is also of particular interest because it reduces their bioavailability, thereby decreasing their bioaccumulation, especially in materials such as soil, groundwater, sediments, and slurries.

[0005] Current commercial remediation processes applied to soil and other solids include stabilization / solidification, washing, thermal desorption, and vitrification. Processes applied to water and other liquids include precipitation / coprecipitation, adsorption, filtration, and bioremediation. Processes applied to sediments and other solid-liquid combinations include in situ capping, dredging / excavation, combinations of these methods, and monitored natural remediation (MNR) and enhanced monitored natural remediation (EMNR). Monitored natural remediation relies on natural processes to protect the environment and receptors from unacceptable exposure to pollutants, while enhanced MNR applies materials or modifications to enhance the natural remediation process (e.g., adding thin-layer caps or reactive modifications such as carbon). While all of these remediation technologies offer benefits in controlling the environmental impact of environmental pollutants, including human health and ecological risks, these technologies also have limitations.

[0006] Another factor to consider in some remediation techniques is the tendency of environmental pollutants to move (or leach) from their location after they have been isolated or stabilized. The U.S. EPA also regulates this, and has the Toxicity Index Leaching Method (TCLP), a test designed to determine the mobility of both organic and inorganic analytes present in liquid, solid, and multiphase waste. do.

[0007] Before selecting a remediation method for actual contaminated sites, complex bench-scale and pilot-scale surveys and screening tests must be conducted to evaluate the technology and determine its suitability. Furthermore, due to the variability at each site being treated, remediating mercury and other environmental pollutants is considerably costly and time-consuming. Therefore, there is a need for more commercially attractive new processes to reduce the environmental and bioavailability of environmental pollutants in solid and liquid states, as well as in combinations thereof. [Overview of the Initiative]

[0008] The present invention provides a process for reducing the environmental availability of at least some of the environmental pollutants in a substance containing one or more environmental pollutants. The advantage provided by the process of the present invention is the reduction of the environmental availability of toxic environmental pollutants in the substance. Such toxic pollutants include mercury, methylmercury, heavy metals, and ecologically toxic organic matter.

[0009] The advantage provided by the process of the present invention is that by reducing the environmental availability of environmental pollutants in a substance, the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of such pollutants are also reduced.

[0010] The process of the present invention can be used as the sole process for reducing the environmental availability and / or presence of environmental pollutants (e.g., mercury) in a material, or can be used to complement and / or facilitate a reduction in the environmental availability and / or amount of such environmental pollutants in a material to a degree that can be achieved by existing technologies.

[0011] One embodiment of the present invention provides a process for reducing the environmental availability of at least some of the environmental pollutants in a substance containing one or more environmental pollutants. This process involves adding and / or applying a halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent to the substance. The adsorbent comprises one or more halogens selected from sulfur, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and / or iodine, and one or more substrate materials. The halogens in the adsorbent are from material sources selected from elemental halogens, hydrohalides, alkali metal halides, alkaline earth metal halides, and ammonium halides. Adding and / or applying the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent to a pollutant-containing substance reduces the environmental availability of at least some of the environmental pollutants in the substance.

[0012] Another embodiment of the present invention is an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur.

[0013] These and other embodiments and features of the present invention will become even more apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] The present invention provides processes for reducing the environmental availability of environmental pollutants. As used herein, the term “reduction of environmental availability” means stabilization, immobilization, fixation, encapsulation, separation, containment, destruction, detoxification, decomposition, and decomposition, reduction in quantity, reduction in mobility, and / or reduction in the mobility of at least one environmental pollutant. Stabilization and / or immobilization can be carried out in a medium. Reducing the environmental availability of environmental pollutants reduces their bioavailability and therefore their bioaccumulation.

[0015] As used herein, the term “environmental pollutant” means a substance that is harmful to humans. This means chemical elements or compounds, or mixtures thereof, that are known to have adverse effects on and / or on the environment (ecosystem). Environmental pollutants are usually regulated by one or more government agencies. Examples of environmental pollutants include all forms of mercury (e.g., elemental mercury, organic mercury compounds, and inorganic mercury compounds); other organic substances (e.g., hydrophobic organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, furans, and / or chlorinated pesticides, but not limited to these); hazardous elements, organic and inorganic heavy metal compounds (e.g., compounds containing As, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, and / or Cd, but not limited to these); and other environmental pollutants well known to those skilled in the art.

[0016] As used herein, terms such as “treated,” “contacted,” and “cleaned” indicate that halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents interact with a substance containing one or more environmental pollutants in a manner that results in a reduction of the environmental availability of one or more environmental pollutants.

[0017] The purifying agent in the embodiment of the present invention is an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur. The halogen-and-sulfur adsorbent is typically formed from one or more sulfur compounds, one or more halogen-containing compounds, and one or more substrate materials. Many substrate materials, particularly activated carbon, are available or can be purchased in a wide range of particle sizes from nanometers to centimeters.

[0018] The base materials include carbonaceous materials and inorganic materials. These base materials are non-oxidizing. Suitable carbonaceous materials include, but are not limited to, activated carbon, carbon black, charcoal, and coal. A preferred carbonaceous material is activated carbon, which can be used in many forms, including, but is not limited to, powder, granular, or extruded, and has a high specific surface area. Powdered activated carbon is a particularly preferred form of activated carbon.

[0019] Suitable inorganic materials include inorganic oxides (e.g., alumina (amorphous and crystalline), silica, magnesia, and titania); natural zeolites (e.g., chabazite, clinoptilolite, faujasite); synthetic zeolites (e.g., synthetic chabazite, zeolites with a high Si:Al ratio (ZSM-5, beta-zeolite, sodalite), zeolites with a moderate Si:Al ratio (Y-zeolite, A-zeolite), silica-alumina phosphate (SAPO) zeolite, ion-exchange zeolites, uncalcined zeolites); clay minerals (e.g., kaolin, kaolinite, bentonite, montmorillonite); synthetic clays (e.g., laponite, saponite, soconite, stevensite, kaolinite, hectorite); organic clays (e.g., trimethylstearylammonium salt, dimethyldialkyl (C) 14 ~C 18 This includes montmorillonite treated with ammonium salts, methyldihydroxyethylammonium salts and hydrogenated tallow ammonium salts, as well as aminopropyltriethoxysilane and octadecylamine; bentonite, hectorite, and attapulgite treated with quaternary ammonium salts; zeolites treated with N,N,N-trimethyl-1-hexadecanaminonium chloride; inorganic hydroxides (e.g., iron hydroxide); mixed metal oxides (e.g., hydrotalcite, metallized bilayer clay); diatomaceous earth; cement dust; hydrogenation treatment catalysts including catalysts on the substrate (e.g., alumina, silica, or titania); CaCO3; and any combination of two or more of the above. Preferred inorganic materials include inorganic oxides (especially silica), natural zeolites (especially chabazite), and clay minerals (especially kaolinite and bentonite). CaCO3 is also a preferred substrate material.

[0020] The halogen elements in the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent may be fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, or a mixture of any two or more halogens. Bromine is a preferred halogen. The halogens in the adsorbent are from material sources selected from elemental halogens, hydrohalic acids, alkali metal halides, alkaline earth metal halides, and ammonium halides. Suitable halogen-containing compounds include, as is well known to those skilled in the art, for example, These include, but are not limited to, elemental iodine and / or iodine compounds, elemental bromine and / or bromine compounds, elemental chlorine and / or chlorine compounds, elemental fluorine and / or fluorine compounds, and other suitable halogen compounds. Types of halogen-containing compounds that can be used include hydrohalic acids, alkali metal halides, alkaline earth halides, and ammonium halides.

[0021] Hydrohalic acids include hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, and hydrogen iodide. Alkali metal halides include sodium fluoride, sodium chloride, sodium bromide, sodium iodide, potassium fluoride, potassium chloride, potassium bromide, and potassium iodide. Alkaline earth halides include magnesium fluoride, magnesium chloride, magnesium bromide, magnesium iodide, calcium fluoride, calcium chloride, calcium bromide, and calcium iodide. Ammonium halides include ammonium fluoride, ammonium chloride, ammonium bromide, and ammonium iodide.

[0022] Preferred halogen-containing compounds depend on which halogen is bonded to the substrate and include elemental bromine, hydrogen bromide, sodium chloride, sodium bromide, potassium iodide, and calcium bromide. Bromine-containing compounds are preferred halogen-containing compounds. More preferred are hydrogen bromide and elemental bromine, particularly elemental bromine.

[0023] As used throughout this specification, the term "sulfur source" means elemental sulfur and / or one or more sulfur compounds. Suitable sulfur sources include elemental sulfur (α, β, γ, and amorphous forms), and sulfur compounds. Sulfur compounds that are suitable sulfur sources include carbon disulfide, thioamides such as thioacetamide, and polymeric organic sulfur compounds such as polythiocarbonic acid.

[0024] Salts of sulfur-containing ions (sulfur salts) are sulfur compounds that are suitable sulfur sources for the implementation of the present invention. The counterions of the sulfur salts can be cations of alkali metals (e.g., lithium, sodium, potassium, cesium), alkaline earth metals (e.g., magnesium, calcium, barium), ammonium, and zinc. Suitable sulfur-containing ions include thiosulfate, pyrosulfate, metabisulfite, sulfite, bisulfite, sulfate, bisulfate, sulfide, hydrosulfide, dithiocarbamate, sym-triazinetrithiolate, and the like.

[0025] The sulfur source can be anhydrous or in a hydrated form. An anhydrous sulfur source is not necessary for the implementation of the present invention. Preferred sulfur sources include elemental sulfur and salts of sulfur-containing ions. Preferred sulfur-containing ions are sulfide, hydrosulfide, and polysulfide. Preferred counterions are alkali metal cations. A more preferred sulfur source is elemental sulfur, sodium sulfide, and sodium hydrosulfide, particularly elemental sulfur. Sulfur halides such as sulfur dibromide and sulfur dichloride are not used as sulfur sources in the implementation of the present invention.

[0026] The sulfur source can generally be used in solid, solution, or gas form. Carbon disulfide is conveniently used in liquid or gas form because of its relatively low boiling point. The solution is generally an aqueous solution. The concentration of the sulfur-containing solution is usually at least about 0.2% by weight, usually in the range of about 0.2% to about 10% by weight, and preferably in the range of about 0.5% to about 5% by weight. These concentrations refer to the amount of sulfur in the solution, not the amount of the compound. Mixtures of two or more sulfur sources can be used. Usually, such mixtures are in the same form (e.g., solid or solution). Preferred sulfur sources include elemental sulfur.

[0027] To obtain a desired amount of sulfur with an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur, an amount of sulfur source containing an appropriate amount of sulfur is combined with a halogen-containing compound and a substrate material. For example, to form an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur that contains 5 wt% sulfur, the weights of the sulfur source, the halogen-containing compound, and the substrate material are added together such that the amount of sulfur in the sulfur source is 5% of the total weight. In this case, since all of the sulfur from the sulfur source is typically incorporated into the adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur, an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur that contains approximately 5 wt% sulfur is formed.

[0028] The amount of sulfur (or sulfur content) in the adsorbent is typically in the range of about 0.1 wt% to about 10 wt%, preferably in the range of about 0.5 wt% to about 7.5 wt%, more preferably in the range of about 2 wt% to about 5 wt%, and even more preferably in the range of about 2.5 wt% to about 4 wt%, based on the total weight of the adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur.

[0029] In the adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur, sulfur and halogen preferably have an atomic ratio of sulfur to halogen in the range of about 0.25:1 to about 1:3, more preferably in the range of about 0.5:1 to 1:2.5, and even more preferably in the range of about 1:1 to about 1:2.

[0030] The adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur can be produced from a substrate material, a sulfur source, and a halogen-containing compound as described in International Patent Publication No. WO2012 / 071206. The components can be mixed together simultaneously or continuously. If the mixing is continuous, the substrate material is typically combined with the sulfur source and then with the halogen-containing compound.

[0031] Some of the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents of the present invention are formed by a process comprising contacting a halogen-containing compound with a substrate material to form a halogen-containing substrate material. The halogen-containing substrate material is then contacted with a sulfur source to form a halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent. In a variation of this process, an already formed halogen-containing substrate material (e.g., a bromine-containing carbonaceous material) is contacted with a sulfur source to form a halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent. Other halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents of the present invention are formed by contacting a halogen-containing compound with a sulfur source to form a halogen-sulfur mixture. The halogen-sulfur mixture is then contacted with a substrate material to form a halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent. The substrate material, halogen, halogen-containing compound, sulfur source, and their amounts, as well as their selection, are as described above.

[0032] Contact between the sulfur source and the substrate material may occur at ambient temperature (e.g., about 20°C to about 25°C), or preferably, contact may occur by heating at one or more temperatures in the range of preferably about 75°C to about 700°C, more preferably about 100°C to about 600°C, and even more preferably about 100°C to about 200°C. Heating the sulfur source in contact with the substrate material is recommended and preferred, regardless of whether the halogen-containing compound has already been combined with the substrate material.

[0033] When a halogen-containing compound is brought into contact with an adsorbent material before contact with a sulfur-containing compound, the halogen-containing compound and the adsorbent material can be brought into contact as described in U.S. Patents No. 6,953,494 and No. 9,101,907. In some embodiments, a preferred adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur is an adsorbent containing bromine and sulfur. In some embodiments, a preferred adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur is an adsorbent whose base material is activated carbon. In other embodiments, a preferred activated carbon containing halogens and sulfur is activated carbon containing chlorine and sulfur, activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur, and activated carbon containing iodine and sulfur. In preferred embodiments, a halogen-containing adsorbent is activated carbon containing chlorine and sulfur, and activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur. In more preferred embodiments, a halogen-containing adsorbent is activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur.

[0034] In other embodiments, preferred adsorbents containing halogens and sulfur are activated carbon containing chlorine and sulfur, and activated carbon containing iodine and sulfur. In yet another embodiment, preferred adsorbents containing halogens and sulfur are chabazite containing halogens and sulfur, bentonite containing halogens and sulfur, and kaolinite containing halogens and sulfur. , as well as silica containing halogens and sulfur.

[0035] In another embodiment, preferred adsorbents containing halogens and sulfur include silica containing bromine and sulfur, kaolinite containing bromine and sulfur, and bentonite containing bromine and sulfur.

[0036] The amount of halogen in the adsorbent (or halogen content) typically corresponds to a total bromine content (or calculated as bromine) in the range of about 0.1% to about 20% by weight, preferably a total bromine content in the range of about 0.5% to about 15% by weight, more preferably about 2% to about 12% by weight, and even more preferably about 3% to about 8% by weight, relative to the total weight of the adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur.

[0037] As used throughout this specification, the terms “as bromine,” “reported as bromine,” “calculated as bromine,” and similar terms for halogen refer to amounts of halogen, and the values ​​are calculated for bromine, unless otherwise specified. For example, elemental fluorine may also be used, but the amount of halogen in an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur is given as a value for bromine.

[0038] The amount of sulfur in the adsorbent is usually in the range of about 0.1% to about 15% by weight, preferably about 0.5% to about 10% by weight, and more preferably about 1% to about 5% by weight, relative to the total weight of the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur.

[0039] Activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur suitable for use in the process of the present invention can have a wide range of particle sizes and distributions from nanometers to centimeters, and can be formed from activated carbon forms including, for example, powder, granular, or extruded, and have a high specific surface area, various unique pore structures, and other features well known to those skilled in the art.

[0040] Adsorbents containing halogens and sulfur, particularly adsorbents containing bromine and sulfur, and more specifically, activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur, can reduce the environmental availability of pollutants in a substance through means including, for example, oxidation and / or adsorption. Adsorption can reduce the environmental availability of environmental pollutants by reducing the mobility of such pollutants. Other ways in which halogen- and sulfur-containing adsorbents can reduce the environmental availability of pollutants include by promoting the decomposition of such pollutants through surface reactions and / or by inhibiting the formation of pollutants such as methylmercury, and / or by other mechanisms. In the process of the present invention, environmental pollutants adsorbed by halogen- and sulfur-containing adsorbents, whether applied to solids, liquids, or combinations thereof, are stabilized such that their desorption into the environment is substantially minimized.

[0041] Mercury and other environmental pollutants can be removed by adsorbents containing halogens and sulfur, particularly activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur, and / or adsorbed on or within such adsorbents, effectively removing the pollutants. Various halogen species can be formed in adsorbents containing halogens and sulfur, particularly adsorbents containing bromine and sulfur, specifically activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur. For example, bromine, one of the bromine species, can oxidize elemental mercury to form mercury bromide.

[0042] Adsorbents containing halogens and sulfur, particularly some activated carbons containing bromine and sulfur, capture mercury, enabling the physical and / or chemical adsorption of mercury in various oxidation states, including elemental mercury, mercury oxide, and organic mercury. The captured mercury is stable across a wide range of pH values. Here, "stable" means that, after capture, the mercury does not separate in appropriate amounts from the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent.

[0043] The halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents used in the process of the present invention can be combined with any other components (e.g., pH buffers (e.g., including, but not limited to, carbonates and phosphates), carriers (e.g., including, but not limited to, sand and mud), binders (e.g., including, but not limited to, mud, clay and polymers), and / or other additives (e.g., including, but not limited to, iron compounds and sulfur compounds)).

[0044] In carrying out the present invention, halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents can be used in a variety of forms, including as dry adsorbents or in combination with a suitable fluid (e.g., in a slurry). As used herein, the term “suitable fluid” means fluids such as water and other fluids. The selection depends on variables (e.g., the composition of the substance, the composition of environmental pollutants present in the substance, etc.), so given the teachings of this disclosure, a person skilled in the art will have the knowledge to select a suitable fluid.

[0045] Some processes of substances can be performed both in-situ and ex-situ.

[0046] Thermal desorption and retort treatment are two common ex situ heat treatments for mercury purification. This technique involves heating the contaminated medium to vaporize the mercury, followed by condensing the vapor into liquid elemental mercury. Activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur can be used to adsorb mercury in place of a liquid mercury condenser, or to remove mercury from the exhaust gases leaving the condenser.

[0047] In some applications, halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents remain in or with the material. In other applications, halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents may be recovered after use. When halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents are recovered after use, they can be discarded or recycled for reuse.

[0048] A substance containing one or more environmental pollutants is a solid, a liquid, a combination of solids and liquids, or a combination of one or more solids and one or more liquids. If the substance is a solid, it may contain multiple solids. If the substance is a liquid, it may contain multiple liquids.

[0049] In some processes of the present invention, the use of halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents, whether applied to a substance comprising one or more solids, one or more liquids, or a combination of at least one solid and at least one liquid, can be an independent purification method or can complement the use of other purification methods. In other processes according to the present invention, halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents can be used in the same purification process in addition to one or more other purification agents.

[0050] When an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur is added to contaminated waste, one or more contaminants are adsorbed. In some embodiments, the halogen- and sulfur-containing adsorbent remains in the material to stabilize and / or solidify it. In other embodiments, the combined halogen- and sulfur-containing adsorbent and the material, often together with binders and other compounds, are placed in a landfill.

[0051] As used herein, the term “solids” includes, but is not limited to, soil, rubble, waste, and other such materials well known to those skilled in the art. Soil is a preferred solid to be treated in the implementation of the present invention. The process of the present invention involves one or more environmental pollutants. Provided for reducing the environmental availability of at least some of one or more environmental pollutants in a solid containing a dye. A substance that is solid may be referred to as a solid object in this specification.

[0052] For the addition and / or application of halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents to solids, (a) Injecting halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents into a solid through holes and / or depressions and / or channels that are present in the material, whether already present or manually created (e.g., by drilling holes in the material), and / or (b) Applying an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to a solid surface, and / or (c) Combining an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur with at least a portion of the surface of a solid, and / or (d) Adding an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the vacuum well in which the solid is processed, and / or (e) Adding halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents to the contained solid, and / or (f) Combining adsorbents containing halogens and sulfur with solids, and / or (g) Adding an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the reactive barrier, and / or (h) This may include forming a reactive barrier containing an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur.

[0053] As described in (c) above, the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent can be combined with a solid surface by first combining the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent with a portion of the solid, and then applying the mixture of the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent and the solid to the solid surface, or by combining the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent with the solid surface.

[0054] Several preferred methods for adding and / or applying halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents to a solid are: (a) Injecting an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur into a solid, (b) Applying an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the surface of a solid, and / or (c) Combining an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur with at least a portion of the surface of a solid.

[0055] Embodiments of solid treatment for reducing the environmental availability of one or more environmental pollutants include (i) drilling holes, depressions and / or channels into the solid; (ii) covering the surface of the solid with a layer of halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent; and (iii) heating several parts of the solid to move one or more environmental pollutants (e.g., mercury) toward the surface on which the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent is located.

[0056] Another embodiment of a solid treatment for reducing the environmental availability of one or more environmental pollutants includes (i) drilling holes, depressions and / or channels into the solid; (ii) filling some of the holes or channels with an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur; and (iii) purging heated air into the holes or channels to move one or more environmental pollutants (e.g., mercury) toward the holes filled with the halogens and sulfur adsorbent.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present invention, a solid is heated to vaporize environmental pollutants (e.g., mercury) in a vacuum well. As described in (d) above, if an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur is present in the vacuum well, the halogen and sulfur adsorbent can absorb the vaporized environmental pollutant(s). In these processes, the halogen and sulfur adsorbent is placed in the vacuum well and comes into contact with the vapor generated at one or more locations in the vacuum well before the vapor is released into the atmosphere. One application of this process is in soil vapor extraction (SVE) for mercury remediation, in which a halogen and sulfur adsorbent (particularly bromine-containing activated carbon) can be placed in the vacuum well to adsorb mercury.

[0058] In certain types of solids and soils, using adsorbents containing halogens and sulfur, Mercury can be immobilized before or during soil stabilization and solidification (S / S) in situ and / or ex situ treatments. One ex situ process involves adding halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents, one or more binders, and other components to the contaminants and mixing them in a reactor. The mixture is then stabilized and solidified with cement or placed in a landfill. In some embodiments, powdered activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur can be used in the S / S treatment process. Mercury adsorbed on powdered activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur remains stable during concrete production and curing. This is advantageous because fly ash and cement are typical binders used in S / S technology.

[0059] In another embodiment of the present invention, an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur, particularly powdered activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur, is used as a remediation agent for mercury-contaminated soil. In this method, the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur is scattered over the contaminated soil. In this method, the soil is not disturbed, and the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur, particularly activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur, is present in the top layer of the soil, blocking the movement of mercury from the soil.

[0060] Adsorbents containing halogens and sulfur, particularly activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur, can be mixed with other agents to create mixtures that improve the penetration of the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent into solids, especially into soil. The amount of halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent added may be less than 10% of the top layer of soil, and the thickness of the top layer of soil may be up to 10 cm. In some embodiments, pH adjusters are also applied separately or mixed with the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent, and optionally together with agents that improve the penetration of the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent into solids.

[0061] The process of the present invention is provided for reducing the environmental availability of at least some of one or more environmental pollutants in a liquid containing one or more environmental pollutants. As used herein, the term “liquid” includes, but is not limited to, groundwater, wastewater, surface water, brine, freshwater (e.g., lakes, ponds), and other such substances known to those skilled in the art. Substances that are liquids may be referred to herein as liquids.

[0062] For the addition and / or application of adsorbents containing halogens and sulfur to liquids, (a) Injecting an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur into a liquid, wherein the adsorbent used can be filtered if desired, the injection and / or (b) Applying an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the surface of a liquid, and / or (c) Combining adsorbents containing halogens and sulfur with liquids, and / or (d) Passing the liquid over a fixed bed containing an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur, and / or (e) Passing a liquid through a filter containing an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur, / or, (f) Pumping a liquid through a fixed bed or column containing an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur, (g) This includes adding halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents to a large amount of contained liquid.

[0063] As described in (c) above, adsorbents containing halogens and sulfur can be combined with liquids by either combining the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur with all of the liquid, or by combining the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur with a portion of the liquid to form a slurry, and then combining the slurry with the remaining liquid.

[0064] Some substances are combinations of at least one solid and at least one liquid, and include sediment, slurry, deposits, pore water (e.g., soil pore water or deposit pore water), and other solid-liquid combinations. Deposits, soil pore water, and deposit pore water are preferred combinations for treatment in the implementation of the present invention. These combinations are sometimes referred to as multiphase substances. The processes of the present invention are provided to reduce the environmental availability of at least some of the environmental pollutants in a combination containing one or more environmental pollutants. A substance that is a combination may be referred to herein as a formulation.

[0065] The addition and / or application of halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents to a formulation may include adding and / or applying halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents to the formulation. In such a process, adding and / or applying halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents to the formulation may include (a) Injecting halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents into a composition through holes and / or depressions and / or channels present in the material, whether already present or manually created (e.g., by drilling holes in the composition), and / or (b) Applying an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the surface of the compound, and / or (c) Combining an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur with at least a portion of the surface of the compound, as described above for solid and / or liquid substances, and / or (d) Combining a halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent with the compound, and / or (e) Placing an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur in the vacuum well in which the compound is processed in a manner similar to that described for solids, and / or, (f) Adding halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents to the contained formulation, and / or (g) Covering the surface of the substance with a layer containing an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur, and / or (h) Putting an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur inside the cap, and / or (i) Adding an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the reactive barrier, and / or (j) Forming a reactive barrier containing an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur, and / or (k) This may include placing an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur within the geotextile mat.

[0066] As described in (d) above, in order to combine an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur with the formulation, combine the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur with the formulation, or This can be done by combining a sulfur-containing adsorbent with a portion of the formulation to form a mixture, and then combining the mixture with the surface of the formulation. In these embodiments, the halogen- and sulfur-containing adsorbent may include, but is not limited to, activated carbon containing halogen and sulfur, preferably a carbon adsorbent containing bromine and sulfur, and more preferably an activated carbon adsorbent containing bromine and sulfur.

[0067] Several preferred methods for adding and / or applying halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents to a formulation are: (a) Injecting an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur into the compound, (b) Applying an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the surface of the compound, (c) Combining an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur with at least a portion of the surface of the compound, and / or (d) Combining an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur with the compound.

[0068] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, many variables relating to the use of the present invention must be considered depending on the substance being treated. In all processes of the present invention, whether applied to solids, liquids, or combinations thereof, considering the teachings herein, those skilled in the art will have the knowledge to determine the amount of halogen- and sulfur-containing adsorbent to use, such as whether any component is used in combination with a halogen- and sulfur-containing adsorbent, if so, which particular component and its amount is beneficial, the number of applications of the process of the present invention, and the duration between such applications that are beneficial, whether the process of the present invention is used in combination with known purification methods, and if so, how it is used to obtain beneficial results.

[0069] The following embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0070] In the examples, unless otherwise specified, the amount of mercury present in the sample is measured by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry using an atomic absorption spectrometer (CVAA; Zeeman background corrected atomic absorption mercury spectrometer, Ohio Lumex Co., model number RA915+) equipped with a mercury vapor analyzer.

[0071] In all examples, experiments using plain (untreated) activated carbon were conducted for comparison. The powdered activated carbon used in the examples was prepared from coconut shells. [Examples]

[0072] Example 1 - Comparison The powdered activated carbon was dried and stored in a dry box under nitrogen. A portion of the powdered activated carbon (average particle size 15 μm) was treated with gas-phase Br2 at high temperature according to the procedure described in U.S. Patent No. 6,953,494 to form bromine-containing powdered activated carbon with a bromine content of 8% by weight.

[0073] For each test, an adsorbent (0.4 g / L) was added to the reaction bottle. A solution containing 50 ppm Hg, prepared as Hg(NO3)2, with a pH of 2, was added to the reaction bottle containing the adsorbent. The sample was rotated at 30 revolutions / minute for 24 hours, and each of the resulting mixtures was passed through a syringe filter (0.45 μm pore membrane) to separate the adsorbent from the liquid. Next, the mercury concentration of the filtered liquid from each solution was measured. The results are summarized in Table 1. [Table 1] * Defined as the weight (g) of adsorbent per total volume (L) of Hg-contaminated solution.

[0074] Example 2 - Comparison Four mixtures of PAC and elemental sulfur (3.2 wt% sulfur) were placed in quartz boats inside quartz tubes. Each mixture was heated at different temperatures for several minutes under N2, then cooled under N2 before use. In each experiment, sulfur-containing PAC (S-PAC; 0.4 g / L) was placed in a reaction bottle and treated with a mercury-containing solution as described in Example 1. The results are summarized in Table 2. [Table 2] * Defined as the weight (g) of adsorbent per total volume (L) of Hg-contaminated solution.

[0075] Example 3 Mixtures of bromine-containing PAC (Br-PAC; 8 wt% Br) and elemental sulfur (3.2 wt% sulfur), prepared as in Example 1, were placed in quartz boats inside quartz tubes. Each mixture was heated at different temperatures for several minutes under N2, then cooled under N2 before use. In each experiment, sulfur and bromine-containing PAC (S-Br-PAC; 0.4 g / L) were placed in reaction bottles and treated with a mercury-containing solution as described in Example 1. The results are summarized in Table 3.

[0076] Elemental sulfur (28.6 wt%) and liquid Br2 (71.4 wt%) were mixed together to form a solution. This solution was mixed with PAC, and samples of the mixture of PAC, elemental sulfur (3.2 wt%), and liquid Br2 (8 wt%) were placed in quartz boats inside quartz tubes. Each mixture was heated at different temperatures for several minutes under N2, then cooled under N2 before use. In each experiment, sulfur and bromine-containing PAC (S-Br-PAC; 0.4 g / L) was placed in a reaction bottle and treated with a mercury-containing solution as described in Example 1. The results are summarized in Table 3. [Table 3] * Defined as the weight (g) of adsorbent per total volume (L) of Hg-contaminated solution.

[0077] Example 4 Several adsorbents were prepared. The S-Br-PAC adsorbent was formed as described in Example 3. In each implementation, the adsorbent (0.4 g / L) was placed in a reaction bottle as described in Example 1 and treated with a mercury-containing solution. Implementations A and B are comparative. Implementation C is the present invention. The results are summarized in Table 4. [Table 4] * Commercially available brominated PAC treated to be compatible with concrete. See published international patent application WO2008 / 064360.

[0078] Further embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to, the following:

[0079] A) A process for reducing the environmental availability of at least one or more environmental pollutants in a substance containing one or more environmental pollutants, wherein the process is Adding and / or applying an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the substance, wherein the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur includes activated carbon adsorbents containing bromine and sulfur, activated carbon adsorbents containing chlorine and sulfur, activated carbon adsorbents containing iodine and sulfur, chabazite containing bromine and sulfur, bentonite containing bromine and sulfur, kaolinite containing bromine and sulfur, or silica containing bromine and sulfur, and the addition and / or application thereof. The process comprising thereby reducing the environmental availability of at least some of one or more environmental pollutants in the substance.

[0080] B) The same process as in A), wherein the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur has a halogen content of approximately 0.1 to approximately 20% by weight, calculated as bromine relative to the total weight of the halogen- and sulfur-containing adsorbent.

[0081] C) The process is the same as in A), wherein the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur has a halogen content of approximately 0.5 to approximately 15% by weight, calculated as bromine relative to the total weight of the halogen- and sulfur-containing adsorbent.

[0082] D) The process is the same as in A), wherein the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur has a halogen content of approximately 2 to 12% by weight, calculated as bromine relative to the total weight of the halogen- and sulfur-containing adsorbent.

[0083] E) The process is the same as in A), wherein the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur has a halogen content of approximately 3 to 8% by weight, calculated as bromine relative to the total weight of the halogen- and sulfur-containing adsorbent.

[0084] F) A process similar to any of A) to E), wherein the amount of sulfur in the halogen-sulfur-containing adsorbent is in the range of approximately 0.1% to approximately 15% by weight relative to the total weight of the halogen-sulfur-containing adsorbent.

[0085] G) A process similar to any of A) to E), wherein the amount of sulfur in the halogen- and sulfur-containing adsorbent is in the range of about 0.5% to about 10% by weight, preferably about 1% to about 5% by weight, relative to the total weight of the halogen- and sulfur-containing adsorbent.

[0086] H) A process similar to any of A) to G), wherein the sulfur and halogen are added in a sulfur-to-halogen atomic ratio of about 0.25:1 to about 1:3, preferably about 0.5:1 to 1:2.5, and more preferably about 1:1 to about 1:2.

[0087] I) The substance is soil, and the process is similar to any of A) to H).

[0088] J) The material is a sediment, and the process is similar to any of A) to H).

[0089] K) A process similar to any of A) to H), where the substance is soil pore water or sediment pore water.

[0090] L) The process is the same as in A), wherein the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur is activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur, and the halogen content is calculated as bromine relative to the total weight of the halogen-and-sulfur adsorbent, ranging from approximately 0.1% to approximately 20% by weight, and the substance is soil, sediment, soil pore water, or sediment pore water.

[0091] M) The same process as L), wherein the halogen content is calculated as bromine relative to the total weight of the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur, and is about 0.5% to about 15% by weight, preferably about 2% to about 12% by weight, and more preferably about 3% to about 8% by weight.

[0092] N) A process similar to L) or M), wherein the amount of sulfur in the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent is in the range of about 0.1% to about 15% by weight, preferably about 0.5% to about 10% by weight, and more preferably about 1% to about 5% by weight, relative to the total weight of the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent.

[0093] O) The adsorbent is chabazite containing bromine and sulfur, bentonite containing bromine and sulfur, kaolinite containing bromine and sulfur, or silica containing bromine and sulfur, and the halogen content is about 0.1% to about 20% by weight, calculated as bromine relative to the total weight of the halogen-containing adsorbent, and the material is soil, sediment, soil pore water, or sediment pore water, a process similar to A).

[0094] P) The same process as O), wherein the halogen content is calculated as bromine relative to the total weight of the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur, and is about 0.5% to about 15% by weight, preferably about 2% to about 12% by weight, and more preferably about 3% to about 8% by weight.

[0095] Q) A process similar to O) or P), wherein the amount of sulfur in the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent is in the range of about 0.1% to about 15% by weight, preferably about 0.5% to about 10% by weight, and more preferably about 1% to about 5% by weight, relative to the total weight of the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent.

[0096] R) The adsorbent is activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur, with a halogen content of approximately 0.1% to 20% by weight, calculated as bromine relative to the total weight of the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent, and the material is soil, sediment, soil pore water, or sediment pore water, in the same process as A).

[0097] S) The adsorbent is activated carbon containing iodine and sulfur, with a halogen content of approximately 0.1% to 20% by weight, calculated as bromine relative to the total weight of the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent, and the substance is soil, sediment, soil pore water, or sediment pore water, in the same manner as A).

[0098] T) The same process as K), wherein the halogen content is calculated as bromine relative to the total weight of the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur, and is approximately 0.5% to approximately 15% by weight, preferably approximately 2% to approximately 12% by weight.

[0099] U) The same process as T), wherein the amount of sulfur in the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent is in the range of about 0.1% to about 15% by weight, preferably about 0.5% to about 10% by weight, and more preferably about 1% to about 5% by weight, relative to the total weight of the halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbent.

[0100] V) A process similar to any of L) to U), wherein the sulfur and halogen are added in a sulfur-to-halogen atomic ratio of about 0.25:1 to about 1:3, preferably about 0.5:1 to 1:2.5, and more preferably about 1:1 to about 1:2.

[0101] Any component referred to by a chemical name or formula in this specification or in the claims, whether referred to singly or plurally, is identified as existing before contact with another substance (e.g., another component, solvent, etc.) referred to by a chemical name or formula. Such changes, transformations, and / or reactions are natural consequences of bringing a particular component together under the conditions required in accordance with this disclosure, and therefore, it is irrelevant what chemical changes, transformations, and / or reactions occur in the resulting mixture or solution. Thus, this component is identified as the component to be brought together in connection with the performance of a desired operation or the formation of a desired composition. Furthermore, even when the following claims refer to a substance, component, or ingredient in the present tense (e.g., "includes," "is"), this substance, component, or ingredient is referred to as if it existed immediately before it was first brought into contact with, blended, or mixed with one or more other substances, components, and / or ingredients in accordance with this disclosure. The terms "substance," "component," or "element" are used in this disclosure and by chemists. The fact that, when carried out according to normal techniques, a substance may lose its original identity due to a chemical reaction or transformation during the process of contact, blending, or mixing is therefore not a practical problem.

[0102] The present invention may include, consist of, or essentially consist of the materials and / or procedures listed herein.

[0103] As used herein, the term “about” modifying the amount of an ingredient in a composition of the present invention or used in a method of the present invention refers to a change in a numerical amount that may result from, for example, typical measurements and liquid handling procedures used to prepare concentrates or use solutions in the real world; careless errors in these procedures; differences in the production, source, or purity of the ingredients used to prepare the composition or perform the method; and so on. The term “about” also encompasses different amounts resulting from different equilibrium conditions of compositions arising from a particular initial mixture. Whether modified by the term “about” or not, claims encompass amounts equivalent to that amount.

[0104] As used herein, the articles "a" or "an," unless otherwise explicitly stated, are not intended to limit the scope of the detailed description or claims to a single element to which the article refers, and should not be construed as such. Rather, as used herein, the articles "a" or "an," unless otherwise explicitly stated in the text, are intended to encompass one or more such elements.

[0105] The present invention is subject to considerable variation in its implementation. Therefore, the foregoing description is not intended to limit the invention to the specific examples presented above, nor should it be construed as such.

Claims

1. A process for reducing the environmental usability of at least one or more environmental pollutants in a substance containing one or more environmental pollutants, wherein the process is Adding and / or applying an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the substance, wherein the adsorbent comprises sulfur, fluorine, chlorine, bromine and / or iodine, and one or more halogens selected from one or more substrate materials, and the halogens in the adsorbent are from material sources selected from elemental halogens, hydrohalic acids, alkali metal halides, alkaline earth metal halides, and ammonium halides, The process comprising thereby reducing the environmental availability of at least some of one or more environmental pollutants in the substance.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the adsorbent comprises a base material selected from one or more carbonaceous materials.

3. The process according to claim 2, wherein the carbonaceous material is activated carbon.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the adsorbent comprises a base material selected from one or more inorganic materials.

5. The inorganic material is an inorganic oxide, natural zeolite, CaCO3 ３ The process according to claim 4, selected from, and clay minerals.

6. The process according to claim 5, wherein the inorganic material is selected from chabazite, silica, kaolinite, and bentonite.

7. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur is an adsorbent containing bromine and sulfur.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the adsorbent is activated carbon containing halogen and sulfur.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein the adsorbent is activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur.

10. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the adsorbent has a halogen content of about 0.1 to about 20% by weight, calculated as bromine relative to the total weight of the adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur.

11. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the amount of sulfur in the adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur is in the range of about 0.1% by weight to about 15% by weight relative to the total weight of the adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur.

12. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the substance containing the environmental pollutant is a solid.

13. The addition and / or application of the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the solid, (a) Injecting an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur into the solid, (b) Applying an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur to the surface of the solid, (c) an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur is placed together on at least a portion of the surface of the solid. To combine, (d) Add an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur to the vacuum well in which the solid is processed. (e) Adding an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the enclosed solid, (f) Combining an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur with the solid, (g) Adding an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the reactive barrier, and / or (h) The process according to claim 12, comprising forming a reactive barrier containing an adsorbent containing a halogen and sulfur.

14. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the substance containing the environmental pollutant is a liquid.

15. The addition and / or application of the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the liquid, (a) Injecting an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur into the liquid, (b) Applying an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur to the surface of the liquid, (c) Combining an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur with the liquid, (d) Passing the liquid over a fixed bed containing an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur, (e) Passing the liquid through a filter containing an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur, (f) Pumping the liquid through a fixed bed or column containing an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur, and / or (g) The process according to claim 14, comprising adding an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur to the contained large quantity of liquid.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the substance containing the environmental pollutant is a composition of at least one solid and at least one liquid.

17. The addition and / or application of the adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the formulation is (a) Injecting an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur into the compound, (b) Applying an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur to the surface of the compound, (c) Combining an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur with at least a portion of the surface of the compound, (d) Combining an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur with the aforementioned compound, (e) Adding an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur to the vacuum well in which the compound is processed, (f) Adding halogen and sulfur-containing adsorbents to the contained compound, (g) Covering the surface of the substance with a layer containing an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur, (h) Place an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur inside the cap. (i) Adding an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the reactive barrier, (j) Forming a reactive barrier containing an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur, and / or (k) The process according to claim 16, comprising placing an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur in a geotextile mat.

18. The process according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the solid is soil.

19. The addition and / or application described above (a) Injecting an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur into the soil, (b) Applying an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur to the surface of the soil, and / or That is, (c) The process according to claim 17, comprising combining an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur with at least a portion of the surface of the soil.

20. The process according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the compound is a sediment.

21. The addition and / or application described above (a) Injecting an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur into the compound, (b) Applying an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur to the surface of the compound, (c) Combining an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur with at least a portion of the surface of the compound, and / or (d) The process according to claim 20, comprising combining an adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur with the formulation.

22. The process according to claim 1, wherein the substance is soil or sediment, and the adsorbent containing halogen and sulfur is activated carbon containing bromine and sulfur.

23. An adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur, wherein the adsorbent is A) i) A halogen-containing substrate material is formed by bringing a halogen-containing compound into contact with a substrate material. ii) Bringing the halogen-containing substrate material into contact with a sulfur source, B) Bringing a halogen-containing substrate material into contact with a sulfur source. C) i) A halogen-containing compound is brought into contact with a sulfur source to form a halogen-sulfur mixture. ii) Formed by bringing the halogen sulfur mixture into contact with the base material, The adsorbent, which forms an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur.

24. The adsorbent according to claim 23, wherein the halogen is bromine, the base material is a carbonaceous material, the halogen-containing compound is elemental bromine, and the sulfur source is elemental sulfur.

25. The adsorbent according to claim 24, wherein the adsorbent is formed as in A) and the elemental bromine is in gaseous form, or the adsorbent is formed as in C) and the elemental bromine is in liquid form.

26. The adsorbent according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein the base material is activated carbon.

27. A process for forming an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur, wherein the process comprises: A) i) A halogen-containing substrate material is formed by bringing a halogen-containing compound into contact with a substrate material. ii) Contacting the halogen-containing substrate material with a sulfur source, or B) Contacting a halogen-containing substrate material with a sulfur source, or C) i) A halogen-containing compound is brought into contact with a sulfur source to form a halogen-sulfur mixture. ii) Including contact between the halogen sulfur mixture and the base material, The process for obtaining an adsorbent containing halogens and sulfur.

28. The process according to claim 27, wherein the halogen is bromine, the base material is a carbonaceous material, the halogen-containing compound is elemental bromine, and the sulfur source is elemental sulfur.

29. The process according to claim 28, wherein the adsorbent is formed as in A) and the elemental bromine is in gaseous form, or the adsorbent is formed as in C) and the elemental bromine is in liquid form.

30. The process according to any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein the contact between the sulfur source of A) or B) and the base material, or the contact between the halogen sulfur mixture of C) and the base material, is carried out at one or more temperatures in the range of about 75°C to about 700°C.

31. The method according to any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein the base material is activated carbon.

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