Metal Emissions from Joule-Heated Vitrification Systems

ABSTRACT Vitrification demonstrations were conducted for surrogates of three inorganic wastewater sludges in a high-temperature, refractory-lined, slurry-fed melter. The total par-ticulate concentrations and melter decontamination factors were determined for selected elements. The decontamination factors were less than 10 for cadmium and lead in all three demonstrations. The decontamination factors for chromium were less than 30 in the two demonstrations using refractories containing chromium, and they were greater than 150 for the demonstrations using refractories without chromium. Except for one demonstration on a surrogate waste with a high sulfate content, decontamination factors were above 80 for the other heavy metals in the demonstrations.