Elemental balance of SRF production process: Solid recovered fuel produced from construction and demolition waste

Abstract

Quality of solid recovered fuel (SRF) demands that the waste components containing pollutant and potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and inert components are sorted out into separate small streams and to concentrate the suitable components into a prepared depolluted combustible fraction stream of SRF. In the SRF production, mass flow of waste components’ type into the output streams determine the quality of SRF. This paper presents the mass flow of pollutant and potentially toxic elements in full-scale SRF production. The SRF was produced from construction and demolition waste (C&DW) through mechanical treatment (MT). The input and output streams of SRF production were chemically characterised for the concentration of inorganic elements in details. The results showed that of the total input chlorine content to the process, 34% was found in SRF and 48% in reject material. Mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) were found concentrated in fine fraction i.e. of the total input content of mercury and arsenic, 64% and 42% respectively was found in fine fraction. Most of the lead (Pb) was found in reject material and fine fraction i.e. of the total input lead content, 45% and 44% was found in reject material and fine fraction respectively. In case of cadmium (Cd), of the total input content of cadmium, 68% was found in SRF. Among the components of C&D waste, rubber and plastic (hard) were measured to contain higher chlorine (Cl) content i.e. 7.6wt.%, d. and 7.0wt.%, d. respectively. Plastic (hard) was measured to contain 880mg/kg, d. of lead (Pb) which was higher than measured in other components. Textile was measured to contain 12mg/kg, d. of arsenic (As) which was higher than measured in other components.