A PILOT-SCALE STUDY ON THE COMBUSTION OF WASTE CARPET IN A ROTARY KILN: DIOXIN AND FURAN EMISSIONS

摘要

Post-consumer carpet is a potential substitute fuel for high temperature thermal processes such as cement kilns and boilers. In addition, cleanup of contaminated buildings can result in the need to dispose of potentially significant quantities of carpet, which may or may not be contaminated, and will possibly have decontamination chemicals present. Data gaps exist regarding the potential for the production of increased levels of oxides of nitrogen (Nox), organic pollutants such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs), and engineering issues such as pre-sizing requirements for the carpeting in order to achieve effective combustion. To respond to these data gaps, US EPA, in collaboration with the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) and the Georgia Institute of Technology, performed experiments to address some of these data gaps. This paper reports on results examining emissions of PCDDs/Fs from a series of pilot-scale experiments performed on the EPA's rotary kiln incinerator simulator facility in Research Triangle Park, NC.