Dioxin and fly ash free incineration by ash pelletization and reburning

Dioxins (DXNs) in municipal waste incinerator fly ash were effectively reduced by pelletizing the mixture of ash, cement, and sodium phosphate and reburning the pellets in a laboratory scale bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) furnace. Three types of pellets--A, B and C, of various sizes and compositions were used in the experiments. The efficiency of DXN reduction in the pellet matrix was proportional to the incineration time, temperature, and degree of pellet incineration. At 700 degrees C and incineration time sufficient for a complete burnout, the efficiency of DXN reduction in the pellets of type A and C was found to be 99.9% and 99.7%, respectively. Correspondingly, the DXN concentration in the pellets decreased from 862 ng TEQ/kg to 0.9 ng TEQ/kg for pellets A and 2.2 ng TEQ/kg for pellets C. The residual concentration of coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (coplanar PCBs) was below 0.2 ng TEQ/kg and 0.4 ng TEQ/kg, respectively. Assuming a tortuosity factor of tau = 3 and the reaction rate constants of 0.013 m/s (at 700 degrees C) and 0.025 m/s (at 800 degrees C), the experimental pellet incineration times were reasonably predicted by using the shrinking core model. Possible DXN evaporation from the pellets was also studied. The amount of DXNs in the flue gas captured by an impinger trap was less than 3% when the reactor was operated at 700 and 800 degrees C. The described method of fly ash pelletization and reburning seems to be a relatively easy and inexpensive way to reduce both the emission of DXNs and the amount of fly ash.