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Inventory of contaminants in waste wood; Inventering av foeroreningar i returtrae

Abstract

Waste wood is increasingly used as fuel in Sweden. It is of Swedish origin as well as imported, mainly from Germany and the Netherlands. The waste wood is contaminated by e.g. paint and wood preservatives and objects of metal, glass, plastics etc. The contaminants may cause technical problems such as deposits and corrosion as well as plugging of air openings. The present study has focussed on potential contaminants in waste wood that could cause problems of technical as well as environmental nature. The major chemical contaminants are surface treatments (paints etc) and wood preservatives. The surface treatments contribute in particular to contaminants of zinc and lead. In some cases zinc has been found to cause severe deposits in the furnaces. Surface treatments also contribute to increased levels of sodium, chlorine, sulphur and nitrogen. Preservative-treated wood is the most important source of increased levels of copper, chromium and arsenic in the waste wood. Waste wood imported from Germany contains less arsenic but the same amount of copper and chromium as Swedish waste wood. The contents of mercury in German waste wood can be expected to be higher than in waste wood of Swedish origin. The fraction consisting of wood-based panels is  More>>
Authors:
Jermer, Joeran; Ekvall, Annika; Tullin, Claes [1] 
  1. Swedish National Testing and Research Inst., Boraas (Sweden)
Publication Date:
Mar 01, 2001
Product Type:
Technical Report
Report Number:
SVF-732
Reference Number:
EDB-01:096358
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Figures and tables with text in English. 73 refs, 20 figs, 31 tabs; PBD: Mar 2001
Subject:
09 BIOMASS FUELS; IMPURITIES; WOOD WASTES; WOOD FUELS; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; LEAD; ZINC; ARSENIC; COPPER; CHROMIUM; TRACE AMOUNTS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA
OSTI ID:
20165376
Research Organizations:
Vaermeforsk, Stockholm (Sweden)
Country of Origin:
Sweden
Language:
Swedish
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: Project Vaermeforsk-F9-820; ISSN 0282-3772; TRN: SE0107232
Availability:
Also available from: Vaermeforsk Service AB, SE-101 53 Stockholm, Sweden; OSTI as DE20165376; Available to ETDE participating countries only(see www.etde.org); commercial reproduction prohibited
Submitting Site:
SWD
Size:
97 pages
Announcement Date:
Nov 09, 2001

Citation Formats

Jermer, Joeran, Ekvall, Annika, and Tullin, Claes. Inventory of contaminants in waste wood; Inventering av foeroreningar i returtrae. Sweden: N. p., 2001. Web.
Jermer, Joeran, Ekvall, Annika, & Tullin, Claes. Inventory of contaminants in waste wood; Inventering av foeroreningar i returtrae. Sweden.
Jermer, Joeran, Ekvall, Annika, and Tullin, Claes. 2001. "Inventory of contaminants in waste wood; Inventering av foeroreningar i returtrae." Sweden.
@misc{etde_20165376,
title = {Inventory of contaminants in waste wood; Inventering av foeroreningar i returtrae}
author = {Jermer, Joeran, Ekvall, Annika, and Tullin, Claes}
abstractNote = {Waste wood is increasingly used as fuel in Sweden. It is of Swedish origin as well as imported, mainly from Germany and the Netherlands. The waste wood is contaminated by e.g. paint and wood preservatives and objects of metal, glass, plastics etc. The contaminants may cause technical problems such as deposits and corrosion as well as plugging of air openings. The present study has focussed on potential contaminants in waste wood that could cause problems of technical as well as environmental nature. The major chemical contaminants are surface treatments (paints etc) and wood preservatives. The surface treatments contribute in particular to contaminants of zinc and lead. In some cases zinc has been found to cause severe deposits in the furnaces. Surface treatments also contribute to increased levels of sodium, chlorine, sulphur and nitrogen. Preservative-treated wood is the most important source of increased levels of copper, chromium and arsenic in the waste wood. Waste wood imported from Germany contains less arsenic but the same amount of copper and chromium as Swedish waste wood. The contents of mercury in German waste wood can be expected to be higher than in waste wood of Swedish origin. The fraction consisting of wood-based panels is comparably free from contaminants but as a result of the high contents of adhesives wood-based panels contribute to a higher proportion of nitrogen in waste wood than in forest residues. A great number of non-wood compounds (such as plastics and metals) do also contaminate waste wood. By careful and selective demolition and various sorting procedures most non-wood compounds will be separated from the waste wood. Waste sorting analyses carried out indicate that the waste wood contains approximately 1% non-wood compounds, mainly plastic and metal compounds, glass, dirt, concrete, bricks and gypsum. This may seem to be a small proportion, but if large amounts of waste wood are incinerated the non-wood compounds will inevitably cause problems. Metal objects of zinc, brass and aluminium are considered to be particularly troublesome as they may plug primary air openings. PVC residues may cause considerably higher levels of chlorine in waste wood. Chemical analyses indicate that the distribution in levels of impurities varies a lot between deliveries of waste wood. Difficulties to take representative samples probably contribute to this. The knowledge of the contents of different types of waste wood (surface treated wood, preservative-treated, panels, furniture etc) in the waste wood flow is only fragmentary. Most certainly, surface treated (painted, stained etc) wood constitute the highest proportion. Preservative-treated wood, with the exception of railway sleepers and poles, is estimated to constitute approximately 5% of the waste wood flow in Sweden today and the next 25-30 years. The study has confirmed previous studies that waste wood contains a substantial proportion of fine fraction. 25-40% of the waste wood passed a sieve with a mesh size of 4 mm at screening trials. Chemical analyses indicated that the fine fraction will be the main contributor to contaminants of potassium, chlorine, sodium, zinc and lead. Further studies are suggested to focus on sorting, preparation, classification and quality assurance of waste wood.}
place = {Sweden}
year = {2001}
month = {Mar}
}