Thermal Treatment of Solid Wastes Using the Electric Arc Furnace
A thermal waste treatment facility has been developed at the Albany Research Center (ARC) over the past seven years to process a wide range of heterogeneous mixed wastes, on a scale of 227 to 907 kg/h (500 to 2,000 lb/h). The current system includes a continuous feed system, a 3-phase AC, 0.8 MW graphite electrode arc furnace, and a dedicated air pollution control system (APCS) which includes a close-coupled thermal oxidizer, spray cooler, baghouse, and wet scrubber. The versatility of the complete system has been demonstrated during 5 continuous melting campaigns, ranging from 11 to 25 mt (12 to 28 st) of treated wastes per campaign, which were conducted on waste materials such as (a) municipal incinerator ash, (b) simulated low-level radioactive, high combustible-bearing mixed wastes, (c) simulated low-level radioactive liquid tank wastes, (d) heavy metal contaminated soils, and (e) organic-contaminated dredging spoils. In all cases, the glass or slag products readily passed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxicity Characteristic Leachability Program (TCLP) test. Additional studies are currently under way on electric utility wastes, steel and aluminum industry wastes, as well as zinc smelter residues. Thermal treatment of these solid waste streams is intended to produce a metallic product along with nonhazardous glass or slag products.
- Research Organization:
- Albany Research Center, OR (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 821858
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ARC-1999-010; TRN: US200411%%775
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: REWAS 99: Global Symposium on Recycling, Waste Treatment and Clean Technology, San Sebastian (ES), 09/05/1999--09/09/1999; Other Information: ed. by I. Gaballah, J. Hager, and R. Solozabal, TMS, Warrendale, PA, 1996, v. 1, pp. 203-212; PBD: 1 Sep 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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