"A HYBRID FLUIDIZED BED INCINERATOR FOR HAZARDOUS WASTES CONTAINING METALS"

ALTHOUGH INCINERATION IS AN ATTRACTIVE MEANS FOR DESTROYING ORGANIC HAZARDOUS WASTE, TWO POTENTIAL PROBLEMS ARE (1) THE INCOMPLETE COMBUSTION OF WASTE COMPOUNDS DUE TO NON-OPTIMAL OR IMPROPER OPERATION (E.G., INADEQUATE ATOMIZATION, POOR MIXING, OR QUENCHING) AND (2) VOLATILIZATION AND RELEASE INTO THE ENVIRONMENT OF TOXIC METALS (E.G., AS, CD, HG, PB) CONTAINED IN THE WASTE. ADDING TO THE CONCERN IS THE FACT THAT THESE PROBLEMS ARE DIFFICULT TO RESOLVE SIMULTANEOUSLY:RAISING TEMPERATURE TO INSURE COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS INCREASES THE EMISSION OF VOLATILE METALS.THE SUBJECT OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS A NEW INCINERATION TECHNIQUE, CALLED HYBRID FLUIDIZED BED INCINERATION, WHICH COMBINES A LIQUID INJECTION BURNER AND A FLUIDIZED BED FOR BOTH DESTROYING HAZARDOUS ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AT HIGH EFFICIENCY AND CAPTURING VOLATILIZED METALS. THE FLUIDIZED BED COMBUSTION LITERATURE SUGGESTS THAT CERTAIN FLUIDIZED SOLIDS, SUCH AS DOLOMITE, CAN EFFECTIVELY ABSORB METALS. MOREOVER, A FLUIDIZED BED CAN PROVIDE THE LONG GAS-PHASE RESIDENCE TIME REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE HIGH DESTRUCTION EFFICIENCY OF ORGANICS. EXPERIMENTAL TESTING IN A BENCH-SCALE HYBRID FLUIDIZED BED INCINERATOR WILL ESTABLISH THE DEGREE OF ORGANICS DESTRUCTION AND METALS REMOVAL THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED AND THE SENSITIVITY OF THESE PERFORMANCE INDICES TO OPERATING CONDITIONS.