Oxidative pyrolysis of CH2Cl2, CHCl3, and CCl4‐I: Incineration implications

The oxidative pyrolysis of methylene chloride, chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride has been investigated using a micro‐bore, fused silica, tubular flow reactor operating under laminar flow conditions coupled to in‐line GC‐MS detection. Data were obtained over the temperature range 573–1273 K for the following conditions: chlorocarbon/oxygen equivalence ratios of 3.0, chlorocarbon concentrations of 2.7 ± 0.1 × 10−5 mols/L, gas‐phase residence times of 2.0 s, and reactor pressures of 1.15 ± 0.05 atm. The parent stability (defined by the temperature required for 99% destruction) was evaluated as: Chemically activated recombination of chlorinated C1 radicals are proposed as important pathways to chlorinated ethane and olefin products. The most significant finding from analysis of product distributions containing ≥2 carbon atoms was the observation of ca. 1 mol% yields of higher‐molecular‐weight perchlorinated aromatic species from the decomposition of chloroform and carbon tetrachloride. Implications with respect to the controlled high‐temperature incineration of these chlorinated methanes are briefly discussed.