ISSN 1017-2548(Print)
ISSN 2234-8530(Online)
Volume 61, Number 4
JKCSEZ 61(4)
August 20, 2017 

Countercurrent oxidation process (COP) was developed and evaluated for treatment of highly concentrated PCB containing insulating oil. The PCB content in insulating oil taken from Haksanmetal company was found to be 1,512 ppm. The COP utilizes a self-sustained flame which propagates itself in a direction counter to the oxygen flow. The flame removes PCBs adsorbed in activated carbon and, at the same time, regenerates activated carbon. The flame temperature was determined from both mass loss of activated carbon and the relative ratio of CO and CO2 exhausted during COP, and showed that its temperature lied in the range of 650-850oC. Removal efficiency of PCBs was achieved above 99.99% for 5% of insulating oil loaded activated carbon with 1 COP in weight ratio. Also, the same removal efficiency was acquired for 60% of insulating oil loaded activated carbon with three consecutive COP. In addition, specific surface area of activated carbon during COP was recovered to almost similar value of virgin activated carbon. It proved that the COP was much effective in removing high concentration of PCBs in insulating oil easily and affordably.