Innovative Zero Emission Exhaust Gas Treatment for Mobile Solar Detoxification Facility

Destruction by incineration is the only permanent means of disposing of many hazardous wastes. However, conventional incinerators are not well received by the public due to concerns regarding products of incomplete combustion (PICs) including dioxins and furans in the emissions. Solar detoxification by photothermal oxidation offers an attractive alternative with the potential for greater destruction efficiencies at lower temperatures with significantly reduced formation of PICs. Solar detoxification is particularly attractive as a self-contained mobile facility for treating spills at remote sites. However, conventional exhaust gas treatment schemes needed to meet emission regulations do not complement solar technology in that they have large utility requirements, produce secondary waste streams, and typically include capital intensive heat recovery equipment. As heat recovery is not cost-effective in the intended application, an innovative high temperature exhaust gas treatment train is proposed that will be evaluated and compared to more conventional treatments in the Phase I study. In particular, it is proposed to determine for the first time the effectiveness of photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) as a high temperature polishing treatment. The most cost-effective design will then be used to construct a pilot facility for on-site demonstration in the Phase II program.