Influence of temperature and atmosphere on polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans desorption from waste incineration fly ash

Abstract

A fly ash sample was heated for 1 h to 200°C, 300°C and 400°C, in order to study the influence of temperature and gas phase composition on the removal of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) from fly ash derived from municipal solid waste incineration. The tests were conducted by treating a fixed bed of fly ash both in an inert (nitrogen) and in a reducing (nitrogen + hydrogen) gas flow in a horizontal bench-scale quartz tubular reactor, heated by a surrounding tubular furnace. The results indicate that most of the PCDD/Fs in fly ash were removed by thermal treatment, especially when the temperature was higher than 300°C: the PCDD/Fs' removal efficiency attained up to 96%. PCDD/Fs dechlorination and destruction were much more important than PCDD/Fs desorption, under either inert or reducing atmosphere. At 200°C and 300°C, the experiments with reducing atmosphere yielded slightly better results than those in nitrogen; yet, this tendency was reversed at 400°C. In general, both treatment modes can fully meet the requirements regarding the concentration of dioxins in fly ash to be sent for landfill in China.