Chemical dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) in dielectric oils enhanced by ultrasound

This paper reports on the chemical dechlorination of the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in some dielectric oils via nucleophilic substitution of the chloro atoms by polyethylene alkoxide. The influence of temperature, ultrasounds, PEG and base type were investigated. We observed that dechlorination of PCBs by chemical treatment is effective at moderate operating conditions (90-100 °C) but strongly dependent on the nature of matrix oil. Stirring affects the process yield influencing the homogeneity of two phase system (oil/glycol). Ultrasounds can improve process efficiency by making operating condition less severe.