SPENT CAUSTICS are also called WASTE CAUSTICS and TOXIC WASTES.

SPENT CAUSTICS are waste products generated from caustic cleaning solutions, gas scrubber blowdowns, petroleum sweetening, geothermal power generation, and chemical manufacturing processes.

SPENT CAUSTICS are categorized into various groups, typically based on the compounds of highest concentrations: 

• Sulfidic Spent Caustic
• Disulfidic Spent Caustic
  
• Mercaptanic Spent caustic
• Cresylic Spent Caustic
• Phenolic Spent Caustic
• Naphthenic Spent Caustic

SPENT CAUSTICS contain high levels of any of the following extremely odorous, hazardous, and toxic compounds:
 

• Sulfides
hydrogen Sulfide


• Disulfides
dimethydisulfide
diethyldisulfide
methylethyldisulfide


• Mercaptans
methylmercaptan
ethylmercaptan
propylmercaptan
butylmercaptan (skunk spray!)
allylmercaptan


• Phenolics
phenol
catechol (o-hydroxyphenol)
resorcinol (m-hydroxyphenol)
hydroquinone (p-hydroxyphenol)
o-, m-, p- nitrophenol
1-, 2- naphthol


• Cresylics
o-, m-, p- cresol
dimethylphenol
ethylphenol


• Naphthenates
cyclohexane
cyclohexanol
cyclopentane


• Amines
MEA (monoethanolamine)
MDEA (methyldiethanolamine)


• Sodium Hydroxide

 
• Potassium Hydroxide