Study of the physical-chemical characteristics of non-food solid waste combustion

Abstract

The ignition and combustion processes of six non-food municipal solid waste (MSW) samples of different type were studied. The samples of wood waste, rubber, leather, cardboard, textile and plastic were put into the combustion chamber at a temperature of 600 °C in air medium at atmospheric pressure. The observations were carried out by means of high-frequency video imaging of the combustion process. Based on the obtained results the characteristic times of the ignition delay, combustion of volatiles and carbon residue were defined. The highest values of ignition delay and combustion of the carbon residue times were obtained for rubber sample and were 11.3 and 285 s, respectively. Significant correlation was found between the time of volatiles and carbon residue combustion and the fixed carbon content of the sample: the higher the Cd content, the higher value of respective time. The concentration peaks of the gas-phase products release during combustion of non-food MSW were presented as well.