The design of incinerators involves a conflict between two important goals: completely destroying the toxic organic materials which are fed to the incinerator and avoiding the emission of heavy metals which will also be present in the waste material. If the incinerator temperature is excessive, the organics will be completely destroyed but heavy metals can be vaporized, subsequently condensing to form submicron particulates which are discharged to the atmosphere. Decreasing the incinerator temperature can solve this problem but can also cause less than complete destruction of the toxic organics. The research program will demonstrate a solution to this dilemma which is created by a threshold for oxidation resulting from the fact that the last remaining traces of the toxic organics oxidize much more slowly than one would expect from their measured oxidation rates at higher concentrations. Accordingly, to restore a high oxidation rate, small amounts of a clean fuel such as natural gas are injected during the final stages of the incineration process. The research will demonstrate that the oxidation of toxic organics at trace levels is more difficult than previously believed but that a simple inexpensive means can overcome this difficulty. This will make incinerations both easier to run and reduce their local environmental impact, translating into lower costs and easier siting.
