Waste vitrification using a high temperature electrical process; Vitrification de dechets par procede electrique a haute temperature

A high-temperature plasma furnace was developed by EDF (Electricite de France) to vitrify industrial waste such as asbestos compounds, plastics, metals, fiberglass and to incinerate toxic compounds such as PCBs, pyralene, hospital waste, etc.. The furnace consists of a principal combustion chamber heated by a plasma torch or a conventional electroburner to temperatures of 1500 degrees C, a waste-introduction bin and a post-combustion chamber. In the post combustion chamber the gases in the smoke are destroyed or neutralized by aqueous caustic soda solutions. The furnace can vitrify 3 tons of waste per hour. The furnace was also used to vitrify and render inert metal-bearing fly ashes from garbage incinerators at a rate of 800 kg/hour. 6 figs.