Thermal treatment of electrical and electronic waste plastics

Abstract

During cocombustion tests up to 12 wt % of different types of electrical and electronic (E + E) waste plastics were added to pretreated municipal solid waste (MSW) in a test incinerator. The increased heating value improved the burnout of the bottom ashes. The level of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in the raw gas was not altered significantly by the co-combustion. Even high bromine (Br) load caused only limited concentrations of bromine containing dioxins and furans in the raw gas, which did not deteriorate the emission quality. Hence MSW combustion is a beneficial disposal route for limited amounts of certain E + E waste. Metallic components should carefully be separated prior to combustion.

Keywords

Bromine E + E waste plastics element partitioning flame retarded plastics mixed halogenated dioxins municipal solid waste combustion

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