Abstract
The growing increase in the production of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) ashes has led to the research of new possibilities to reuse these by-products. This work aims to use MSW fly ash (FA) as a flame retardant filler. The FA was stabilized according to a simple stabilization process involving the mixing of only different ashes: bottom ash (BA), flue gas desulphurization (FGD) residues and coal fly ash (CFA). Stabilized FA, calcite and commercial flame retardants were compared as additives in an epoxy resin or polypropylene (PP) matrix. The self-extinguish performance of fillers was evaluated by fire resistance tests: the vertical burning test (UL94-V) and glow wire test (GWT) at 750 °C and 850 °C. A life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluation was also performed to estimate the reduction in environmental impact related to the production of the flame retardant with stabilized FA. The results show that this new filler is a promising alternative to traditional flame retardant. The ignition time of composites with calcite was lower than the corresponding sample with FA. From an environmental point of view, the replacement of calcite in an epoxy resin matrix or commercial flame retardant in a PP matrix with stabilized FA allows for a reduction in the impact of about 24.1% and 49.5%, respectively.
Highlights
The combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) in thermal power plants is recognized as a fundamental treatment in sustainable waste management systems
The main advantages of waste-to-energy (WtE) plants are a reduction in residual streams to landfilling, with the consequential saving of land, a reduction in pollutant emissions from landfills, the prevention of environmental impacts resulting from the use of fossil fuels and electricity production
This paper aims to evaluate that stabilized fly ash (FA) is a promising alternative to traditional flame retardants from technical and environmental perspectives
Summary
The combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) in thermal power plants is recognized as a fundamental treatment in sustainable waste management systems. The main advantages of waste-to-energy (WtE) plants are a reduction in residual streams to landfilling, with the consequential saving of land, a reduction in pollutant emissions from landfills, the prevention of environmental impacts resulting from the use of fossil fuels and electricity production. In 2015, the production of MSW in Europe was estimated to be about 255 million tons, of which 27% was treated by incineration, in Germany, a country with the largest amount of waste incinerated (16 million tons) followed by France (about 12 million tons) and the UK (about 10 million tons). The number of WtE plants in Europe was 512, of which 121 was located in France, 98 in Germany and 52 in Italy. The largest electricity production from MSW is from Germany (5768 GWh) [2]. The increase in landfill costs and lower availability of storage sites encourage the search for technologies and methods of BA and FA reuse
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