OBSERVATIONS ON THE EFFECT OF PROCESS PARAMETERS ON DIOXIN FURAN YIELD IN MUNICIPAL WASTE AND COAL SYSTEMS/

Effects of fly ash loading; ash-borne, extractable organics; sulfur di oxide (SO,) and hydrogen chloride (HCI) concentration; and combustion quality on the formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and polyc hlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) were evaluated in pilot scale tests s imulating municipal waste combustion and coal/waste co-combustion test ing. Similar PGDD/F yields from reinjection of as-received and extract ed fly ash injection along with testing under ''poor combustion'' cond itions show the importance of combustion quality on minimizing precurs ors. Go-firing coal and municipal solid waste ash leads to increased f ormation from that of firing coal alone, indicating that the municipal solid waste ash provides additional reactants and/or catalytic sites for formation. Finally, tests with elevated SO, levels found that, at sufficiently high sulfur/chlorine levels, formation of PCDD/F is preve nted in both simulated municipal waste combustion and coal/waste co-fi ring. Published by Elsevier Science.