Thermal plasma vitrification process as an effective technology for fly ash and chromium-rich sewage sludge utilization

Abstract

The main goal of the vitrification process for environmental research is the destruction of hazardous waste. This study proposes the use of a thermal plasma treatment process to transform fly ash and chromium-rich sewage sludge into glassy products called vitrificates that can be stored on the land without harmful environmental effects. This is achieved by: (i) decreasing the temperature and energy used to adjust process cost minimization; and (ii) stabilization of vitrificates for different compositions of waste mixture. The chemical stabilization of final products was examined by heavy metals leachability tests. Hardness tests were done to verify the physical stabilization of vitrificates. The most stable vitrificates were obtained from a sample consisting of 90 wt% fly ash and 10 wt% chromium sludge. The thermal plasma treatment is an effective method which can be used to convert hazardous waste mixtures into less toxic or inert glassy products. The chemical composition of raw materials influenced the chemical and physical properties of the vitrificates and determined their internal structures. Mixtures of two different hazardous wastes reduces the process cost without negative environmental impact, which is an innovation in thermal plasma treatment technology. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry