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U.S. Department of Energy
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Destruction of hazardous military wastes using plasma arc technology

Book ·
OSTI ID:442702
 [1];  [2]
  1. Army Environmental Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (United States). Environmental Technology Div.
  2. Concurrent Technologies Corp., Johnstown, PA (United States)
A Plasma Arc Technology (PAT) system treats hazardous wastes in a furnace, at temperatures of 2,000 C, or higher, using a plasma torch. The organic components vaporize, decompose or oxidize. The off-gases consist of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitric oxides. A wet air scrubber is used to remove most of these gases. The scrubber water is treated and recycled. Metal-bearing solids are melted or vaporized. The solids are usually recovered as molten metal, or as non-leachable vitrified slag, suitable for disposal in a landfill. A Plasma Arc Centrifugal Treatment system was used to evaluate this technology for destruction of four military hazardous wastes: sludge from Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant, TX; blast media from Letterkenny Army Depot, PA; medical incineration ash from Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD; and contaminated soil from open burning/open detonation ground at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ.
OSTI ID:
442702
Report Number(s):
CONF-961105--; ISBN 0-7918-1523-4
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English