Occurrence of transient puffs in a rotary kiln incinerator simulator. I. Prototype solid plastic wastes

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/08940630.1987.10466202· OSTI ID:6940475

Linak, W P; Kilgroe, J D; McSorley, J A; Wendt, J O.L.; Dunn, J E

In the operation of practical rotary kiln incinerators, the hazardous waste charge is often introduced in drums or containers in a batch mode. The ensuing transient condition, caused by the rapid devolatilization of waste materials, can momentarily deplete or displace local levels of excess oxygen in the kiln, resulting in heavy transient loadings of unburned gaseous and particulate hydrocarbons (here denoted as puffs) leaving the kiln. This system upset must then be handled by an afterburner and subsequent air pollution control devices downstream. Such an overcharging or transient condition may even result in unacceptably low destruction of principal organic hazardous constituents (POHC) and the formation of products of incomplete combustion (PIC). A 73-kW (250,000-Btu/h) rotary kiln simulator was designed and constructed to provide engineering insight into the chemical and physical parameters associated with failure mode conditions. To this end, a statistically designed parametric investigation was undertaken to determine which waste and kiln variables (charge mass, charge surface area, charge composition, and kiln temperature) significantly affect both instantaneous intensity and total magnitude of the pollutant puffs leaving the kiln. Emphasis was on the incineration of simple prototype plastic wastes, ranging from polyethylene to polyvinyl chloride.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC
• OSTI ID: 6940475
• Journal Information: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States) Vol. 37:1; ISSN JPCAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HYDROCARBONS
INCINERATORS
KILNS
MATERIALS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
OXIDATION
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLASTICS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
POLYETHYLENES
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
POLYVINYLS
PVC
SIMULATION
SOLID WASTES
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTES