Development of a Continuous Supercritical Water Oxidation System for Treating High-Salt Organic Wastewater

Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) technology demonstrates significant advantages in the degradation of organic substances. However, when treating high-salt wastewater, the industrialization of SCWO technology is hindered by salt clogging and a lack of instruments and valves able to withstand the high temperature of SCWO system. In this paper, a continuous SCWO system for treating high-salt organic wastewater was developed through controlling the temperature and setting the pulse sweeping valve and a subcritical water buffer tank. After 21 days of testing, the rates of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and salt removal achieved 99.96% and 99.88%, respectively. The test results of the system showed that the problems of salt clogging and the inability of the instruments and valves to withstand high temperatures have been solved. This research can provide a feasible technical solution for SCWO technology for treating high-salt organic wastewater industrialization.