Abstract
The technology of waste-management thermal processing may pose a threat to the natural environment through the emission of harmful substances, such as CO, NOx, SO2, HCl, HF, total organic carbon (TOC) and dust, as well as dioxins and furans. Due to the advantages of thermal waste treatment, including the small volume of solid residue produced and possible thermal energy recovery, thermal waste treatment is widely applied. Continuous research is necessary to develop methods for reducing the risk of harmful substances being produced and methods for the effective removal of pollutants resulting from flue gases. This paper presents an analysis of the results and conditions of the experimental redesign of a thermal industrial waste (polypropylene) treatment plant. The purpose of the redesign was to improve the quality of gasification and afterburning processes taking place in the combustion and afterburner chambers (through the installation of an additional section), thus resulting in a reduction in the concentrations of CO and total organic carbon (TOC) in flue gases. The research concerned a facility implementing the combustion process on an industrial scale. The experiment led to a reduction in the average concentrations of carbon monoxide from 16.58 mg/m3 to 3.23 mg/m3 and of volatile organic compounds from 2.20 mg/m3 to 0.99 mg/m3. At the same time, no deterioration was observed in any of the remaining technological parameters of the plant, such as waste combustion performance and the energy efficiency of the thermal energy recovery system.
Highlights
Thermal treatment is a basic method for the protection and management of different types of waste
The aim of the study was to validate the average level of concentrations of harmful substances in flue gases in two periods, i.e., before and after the modernization
N2 where: x1 is the average concentration in the sample before the modernization, x2 is the average concentration in the sample after the modernization, σ1 is the standard deviation of the population before the modernization, σ2 is the standard deviation of the population after the modernization, n1 is the sample size before the modernization, and n2 is the sample size after the modernization
Summary
Thermal treatment is a basic method for the protection and management of different types of waste. It is characterized by its production of a relatively small volume of solid residues (ash) and by the possible recovery of otherwise wasted thermal energy. This technology, may pose a threat to the natural environment through the emission of harmful substances and compounds. A review of the literature shows that intense research on methods for limiting the emission of pollutants into the natural environment has been conducted all over the world Strict regulatory restrictions have been introduced, and best available techniques (BAT) have been promoted, within the European Union to enforce the appropriate quality of waste treatment processes [1,2,3].
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