PROCESSES FOR THE TREATMENT OF A WASTE MATERIAL HAVING A HIGH PH AND/OR ALKALINITY

摘要

A process for the treatment of a waste material containing species having a high alkalinity and/or pH is disclosed. The process comprises the steps of contacting the waste material with a first treatment material such as sea water concentrated by evaporation. The amount of the first treatment materia l is sufficient to cause at least some of the alkaline species to be inactivated, thereby resulting in a treated waste material. The process may also include a step of separating the treated waste material into solid and liquid phases and then contacting the liquid phase with a sufficient amount of a second treatment material having a low pH, so as to cause at least one of the pH and alkalinity of the liquid phase to be reduced to an environmentall y acceptable level.