PROCESS FOR THE DISPOSAL OF INTRACTABLE NON-BIODEGRADABLE WASTE MATERIAL FLOWS FROM OIL REFINERIES

The invention provides a process for the disposal treatment of persistent, oil refinery waste material flows, which are difficult to degrade under oxidative conditions, by way of performing a continuous, cyclic oxidation disposal treatment in air or oxygen atmosphere in the presence of known oxidation catalysts and known adsorbent, characterized in that the disposal treatment is carried out in at least two degradation stages, wherein the catalyst/adsorbent volumetric ratio (v/v) in an isolated or separate first reactor is between 0:1 and 1:1 in the first degradation stage and the catalyst/adsorbent volumetric ratio (v/v) in an isolated or separate second reactor is between 1:0 and 1:02 in the second degradation stage; and wherein the surface of the adsorbent : catalyst mixture is modified with a 3-50 fold amount of a 0.1-10 N inorganic acid prior to degradation; and wherein degradation is carried out at a pressure of 10-80 bar, at a temperature of 150-280°C, with a space velocity of 0.4-3.6 1/h and at a waste/oxygen ratio (v/v) of 5-500; and wherein optionally the material effluent of the acidic modification is reintroduced into the material flow to be treated.