5. Wet oxidation processes (OVH)

These treatment processes enable complete oxidation of the organic fraction of an aqueous effluent or suspension, by bringing it into reaction contact, within a pressurized reactor, with an oxidizing agent (air, oxygen, hydrogen peroxide), without including vaporization of the water. They can be used to treat organic loads of between 1 and 150 g/L. As the oxidation reaction is exothermic, OVH processes become auto-thermal from organic matter concentrations of 15 to 20 g/L. Most organic compounds are oxidized stoichiometrically: organic carbon to carbon dioxide, hydrogen to water, halogens to inorganic halides, organic and inorganic sulfates to sulfates, phosphorus compounds to phosphates, nitrogen to ammonia, nitrate or nitrogen gas [9] .

This type of process is applicable to pumpable liquid waste...