Case Study 92-45: Sampling and Characterization of a Highly Reactive Catalyst after an Environmental Spill

Following a spill of aluminum chloride (a highly reactive catalyst) by a local manufacturer, Investigative Science Incorporated was retained to characterize the material and develop cleanup options. At the time of our first visit to the site, the material had been transferred into steel lugger boxes with welded lids in order to reduce contact with moisture and air. The only access to the luggers was through a 4 foot by 2 foot hatchway. Acidic fumes from the material prevented entry. Our job was to figure out how to sample the catalyst without entering the boxes and determine it's reactivity. Then we were asked to recommend how to dispose of it.

To sample the material we developed and built a core sampler which effectively could sample around corners up to 4 metres away. This device was used to sample the material in the lugger boxes according to a grid pattern. The cores were subsampled for future testing. 

In order to determine the reactivity of the core samples, we relied upon the fact that the catalyst reacts with water to generate heat. We developed a calorimeter to which was added a known weight of the sample and water. The generated heat was measured as a rise in the temperature of the water. Using this procedure, we were able to construct a profile of the active areas within each box that required special handling. We also learned from these experiments that the active material had a different appearance from the inactive catalyst. This difference could be used to distinguish active from inactive during subsequent disposal. 

The waste disposal plan involved deactivation of the active material by adding it to a tank of stirred crushed ice. The inactive material did not require this treatment. The deactivation and disposal process was successfully conducted by the client.