Evaluation of vitrifying municipal incinerator ash

Conference · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5414426

Chapman, C C

The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is becoming a national problem. Landfills are being closed and new landfills are not projected to meet future needs. Incineration provides significant volume reduction of MSW, but the resulting ash can concentrate undesirable organics and heavy metals. Vitrification of ash is a very attractive means for treating this ash stream. It provides further volume reduction, destroys any organic residues, and immobilizes heavy metals. In addition, the vitrified ash can become a useful construction material. Thus, vitrification can transform a waste material into a useful product and without requiring and landfill capacity. The feasibility of vitrifying MSW incinerator ash produced by an existing incineration facility in Whatcom County, Washington, was evaluated technically and economically. Vitrification of the incinerator ash provides an 80 volume percent reduction, forms a homogeneous glass, and is estimated to be economically favored over transportation and disposal of ash for the Whatcom County site by over $25 dollars per ton of ash. The vitrification cost per ton of ash is about $53. When assigned to the original ton of MSW, the vitrification cost is about $20 dollars per ton of MSW. Thus, vitrification of MSW incinerator ash provides an economic treatment method while providing an environmentally sound solution to another potentially troublesome waste stream. 4 refs., 4 figs., 5 tabs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5414426
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-18990; CONF-910430--20; ON: DE91017531
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320604* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
ASHES
CALORIMETRY
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
COST
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
MANAGEMENT
MOISTURE
MUNICIPAL WASTES
NONRADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
OXIDATION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RESIDUES
SOLID WASTES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VITRIFICATION
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES