Grantee Research Project Results
Innovative Hazardous Fly Ash and Industrial Process Dust Vitrification Technology
EPA Contract Number: 68D10067Title: Innovative Hazardous Fly Ash and Industrial Process Dust Vitrification Technology
Investigators: Hnat, James G.
Small Business: Vortec Corporation
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: II
Project Period: September 1, 1991 through December 1, 1992
Project Amount: $149,754
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase II (1991) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation , SBIR - Waste , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
The disposal of all types of wastes-municipal, medical, and industrial-is a significant and increasing problem facing the world environment today. Most of the waste being generated is currently being landfilled; however, as many as one-third of the currently active landfills could reach capacity in the next four years. As the capacity of the landfills decreases and the landfilling costs increase, incin- eration becomes an attractive means of volume reduction. However, one byproduct of the incineration process, fly ash, contains a high concentration of heavy metals which may have to be disposed of in hazardous waste landfills at a significant increase in cost to the incinerator operators and, ultimately, the public. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) incinerators alone produce approximately 450,000 to 800,000 tons of fly ash annually. Disposal of this fly ash in hazardous waste landfills could cost from $100 million to $800 million annually, depending on the location of the landfills.The development of an advanced fly ash/dust vitrification system is proposed as a means of eliminating the fly ash disposal problem associated with incineration. The technol- ogy being proposed is based on advanced in-flight suspen- sion glass melting technology being developed by Vortec Corporation for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Phase I of the program verified the technical and economic feasibility of the Vortec process in producing a vitrified product satisfying the leachability limits of CFR 40 Part 261.24 from an MSW incinerator fly ash/waste glass mixture consisting of 50% waste glass. The primary techni- cal objective of Phase II is to determine the extent to which glass-forming additives can be reduced while still satisfying the leachability requirements specified in CFR 40 Part 261.24. The Phase II effort will include fly ash/waste glass feed stock preparation and analysis, vitrification testing using Vortec's experimental vitrification system, flue gas emissions analysis, and commercial plant conceptual design.
Supplemental Keywords:
RFA, Scientific Discipline, Air, Waste, Chemical Engineering, Municipal, Environmental Chemistry, Chemistry, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Hazardous Waste, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, Incineration/Combustion, Environmental Engineering, Hazardous, hazardous waste disposal, fly ash, incinerator ash, incineration, heavy metals, dust vitrification technologyProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.