Plasma in the Waste Treatment Industry

Abstract

The treatment of waste materials is a social and economic problem that has grown rapidly over the last few decades. Relatively simple solutions such as landfill depository and ocean dump sites are no more an option due to the sheer volume of the waste material generated and their long-term negative impact on the environment. The problem is compounded by the wide variety of the waste material generated by our society ranging from municipal solid waste to hazardous industrial waste and low-level radioactive waste. In this chapter, a brief introduction provides some statistics on the volume and composition of waste materials generated across the world and different waste classifications that are commonly used. This is followed by a review of current waste treatment technologies for three broad groups of waste materials, namely: Municipal solid waste materials Industrial waste materials Low-level radioactive waste materials In each of these groups, attention is given to the unique role thermal plasma technology can play for the safe and reliable treatment of the waste material and niche opportunities for the recovery of valuable products from the waste. In a field as vast and diversified as waste treatment, it is unrealistic to attempt to treat it in an exhaustive manner in a single chapter. Emphasis is therefore given to providing typical examples of some of the leading technologies developed over the past few decades with adequate references for further information.