Lab-scale evaluations on formation of products of incomplete combustion in hazardous waste incineration: influence of process variables

Laboratory investigations have been carried out to study the influence of process failure modes on organics emission during the incineration of hazardous sludge. The thermal, temporal and fuel-oxidant mixing failure modes were tested. They were simulated by holding the first combustion temperature at 400°C and varying the after-burning one between 600 and 1100°C, the after-burning residence time between 1 and 3 s and the excess air between 30 and 160%. Results showed that the thermal failure mode is the most important factor controlling the number and concentration of emitted organics leading to the formation of over 70 compounds at after-burning temperature of 600°C. At higher after-burning temperatures emissions are controlled by the fuel-oxidant mixing failure mode and, only when the after-burning is 800°C and the oxygen is 160% over the stoichiometric value, by the temporal failure mode. Based on results obtained some suggestions for reducing emissions of toxic organics in full-scale incinerators are given.