Wet-Oxidation Waste Management System for CELSS

A wet oxidation system will be useful in CELSS as a facility to treat organic wastes and to redistribute inorganic compounds and elements. However at rather higher temperatures needed in this reaction, for instance, at 260 °C, only 80% of organic carbon in a raw material can be oxidized, and 20% of it will remain in the liquid mainly as acetic acid, which is virtually non-combustible. Furthermore, nitrogen is transformed to ammonium ions which normally cannot be absorbed by plants. To resolve these problems, it becomes necessary to use catalysts. Noble metals such 33 Ru, Rh and so on have proved to be partially effective as these catalysts. That is, oxidation does not occur completely, and the unexpected denitrification, instead of the expected nitrification, occurs. So, it is essential to develop the catalysts which are able to realize the complete oxidation and the nitrification.