Effects of surfactants on the removal of carbonaceous matter and dioxins from weathered incineration fly ash

Abstract

Our previous study demonstrated flotation to be effective in removing carbonaceous matter and dioxins from fresh fly ash in medical waste incinerators (MWIs). However, flotation of weathered fly ash seems to be difficult because of the oxidation of the ash surface and the presence of hydrophilic unburned carbon. Three types of surfactants namely nonionic Tween 80, anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cationic CTAB were employed at different doses to improve flotation performance. Results indicated that Tween 80 exhibited superior decarburization performance compared with SDS and CTAB. The effect of surfactants on dioxin removal was found to correspond to the carbon removal from MWI fly ash. The optimal removal yields (90.6% of carbonaceous matter and 88.6% of dioxins) were obtained when 5% (w/w) Tween 80 was added. However, an excessive dose might cause the dissolution of dioxins.