Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) development is limited by corrosion and salt precipitation.
Transpiring wall reactors are emerging to cope with these problems. A reactor has been developed
in which the inner porous shell is composed of pure α-alumina, to handle organic effluents
generated by nuclear activities. The reactor was not proven to be efficient enough to oxidize
salty effluents. However, experimental results concerning the oxidation of a mixture of dodecane
and tributyl phosphate, which is used as a model effluent, confirmed the ability of the reactor
to treat corrosive wastes. High destruction rates were actually achieved (>98%). Phosphorus
was totally recovered in the aqueous effluent as phosphoric acid. No corrosion was noticed in
the reactor, except upstream from the waste injector. As expected, the inner alumina tube
shielded the pressure vessel from corrosion. The assumed sensibility of alumina to thermal
gradients was not a limiting factor of the reactor operation.
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