NEARLY EVERY plant produces waste that must be disposed without affecting other facilities and the environment. Removing and disposing of these materials can be costly. Excessive waste also is a symptom of process inefficiencies. At many chemical processing plants, disposal is all the more important due to the toxic and hazardous waste generated. Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the most toxic process waste gases, but its heating value makes it a valuable lean fuel. Despite this, CO's wider explosive range makes it risky to handle; hence, some plants prefer to flare it directly. However, petrochemical plants and integrated steel mills with blast furnaces and oxygen-blown steel converters have developed safer technologies to recover the CO, clean it and distribute it as regular fuel gas to users.
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