Dust / fly ash

Main components of dust and fly ash are silicon, iron, alumunium and calcium, which form a
mineral matrix. Minor constituents are in particular heavy metal-chlorides, -sulphates and
oxides. During cooling of the flue gas stream, toxic, organic and inorganic compounds
partially condense on the dust. Therefore, dust and fly ash are hazardous waste (see below).
In incineration plants, dust and fly ash are predominantly separated by electrostatic, wet
electrostatic or fabric filters. In comparison to electrostatic filter, fabric filters are less
profitable becase of higher maintenance costs and energy consumption (due to the pressure
loss of the fabric and filter layer). On the other hand, they have a better degree of separation
for fine particles (within the lower m-range). Fabric filters are used at 150-180 C and have
a degree of separation of > 99,8 mass %.
Hidrogen chlorides, fluorides and shulpur oxides
Hydrogen chlorides and fluorides are removed from the flue gas by absorption in water. In
the scrubber, pH is acid (therefore it is called acid scrubber). For this purpose, spray
columns, venturi scrubbers or packed-bed columns are used. For the separation of sulphur
oxides e.g. a lime milk suspension is injected in the second, alkaline scrubber. The lime and
the sulphur oxides react to gypsym, which is then removed.
Heavy metals
Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and furans (PCDD/PCDF) (in the following as it is
common practice- simply called dioxins and furans) are ubiquitously distributed and thus
already constituents of waste input (up to 100 ng TE/kg waste). Incineration in a rotary kiln
equipped with a secondary combustion chamber completely destroys dioxins and furans of
the waste. Chlorinated precursor compounds, e.g. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), are
destroyed likewise. Therefore, new dioxins and furanes hardly form from this source. In
presence of chlorides, dioxins and furans may however form from non-chlorinated
compounds (de-novo-synthesis). In a temperature range of 250-450 C, very small
quantities of precursors generate in presence of metal chlorides, oxygen and large catalytic
surfaces (e.g. fine-grained fly ashes) in a complicated chain reaction. These conditions prevail
in dust loaded flue gas. If flue gas has sufficiently long retention times at temperatures
mentioned, some quantities of dioxins and furans are generated in the flue gas, so the very
low limits of the 17 BlmSchV may be exceeded by far. For this reason, the de-novo-synthesis
is tried to be prevented by
-

dedusting at high temperature (T>450 C),

rapid temperature decrease from > 250 C to <450 C by quenching,
prevention of fly ash deposition in the flue gas channel,
addition of inhibitors

these measures cannot completely exclude new formation of dioxins, so secondary and
tertiary measures are necessary. In catalytic reactions, gaseous dioxins are oxidised to
chlorine and water, which react further to HCl. The catalyst, already installed for SCR, may
also be used as oxidising cat for dioxin destruction: This catalyst reduces nitrogen oxides

and oxidises dioxins / furans simultaneously. Besides, dioxins and furans are adsorbed on
activated carbon or coke.those adsorbers are designed as fixed bed respectively moving bed
reactors or as transport filter respectively filter layer reactors. Due to their filtering effect,
theses reactors remove also particle-bound dioxins and furans /15/. As a third technique,
optimised fine-scrubbers (e.g. flue gas condensation and wet electrostatic filters) are able to
effectively remove dioxins and furans bound to fine particles /16/17/.
Residues
Slag
Holding 16-20% of waste mass, slag constitutes the largest fraction of solid residues. Slags
fall from the end of the rotary kiln into the wet slag removal and then are removed by
conveyer systems. If slag is discharged as a mell, it granulates in the water of the discharger.
Main slag components are silicon, iron, aluminium and alkali oxides. As minor constituents,
slag contains non volatile heavy metals and unburned organic compounds /18/. Depending on
its , slag must be deposited on landfill sites according to the TA Abfall. The type of landfill is
determined by classification criteria specified in technical guidance. Above all, water
constituents of heavy metals and readily soluble neutral sails are limited.