Research Initiation Award: Enhanced Adsorption of Heavy Metals in Hazardous Waste Incinerator Effluent Through the Addition of Inorganic Particles

在焚烧炉的火焰后气体中，随着温度的下降，金属蒸气开始凝结。更易挥发的食物往往集中在更小的颗粒或气雾剂中，这也可能是最难控制的。拟议研究的目的是研究焚烧炉废液中金属排放的形态，并确定在气流中控制播撒特定尺寸和组成的无机颗粒是否可以加速铅、镉和汞在这些颗粒上的成核和冷凝。这些颗粒的大小可以用目前的污水处理技术去除。在这项实验研究中，含有金属的液体将被焚烧。无机颗粒将被添加到火焰区域下游的火焰后燃烧气体中。然后，一部分颗粒物将被困在更下游，并使用原子吸收光谱仪测量金属浓度。每种金属在颗粒上的吸附特性将作为颗粒组成、注入颗粒的大小和负载的函数来确定。公众和政府对城市和危险废物焚烧炉排放的重金属的担忧与日俱增。在这个研究项目中发现的金属回收率可能表明一种很有前途的商业回收技术。

In the post-flame gases of an incinerator metal vapors begin to condense as the temperature drops. The more volatile meals tend to be concentrated in smaller particles or aerosols which can also be the most difficult to control. The objective of the proposed research is to study the morphology of metal emissions in the effluent of a research incinerator and determine if controlled seeding of the flow with inorganic particles of a specific size and composition can accelerate nucleation and condensation of lead, cadmium, and mercury onto these particles. The particles will be of size that can be removed using current effluent treatment technologies. In this experimental study, liquids containing metals will be incinerated. Inorganic particles will be added to the post- flame combustion gases downstream of the flame zone. A portion of the particulates will then be trapped further downstream and the metals concentrations measured using an atomic absorption spectrometer. The adsorption characteristics of each metal onto the particulates will be determined as a function of the particle composition, the size of the injected particles, and the loading. Public and governmental concern is increasing over emissions of heavy metals from municipal and hazardous waste incinerators. The rates of metal recovery found in this research program may point to a promising commercial recovery technique.