The correlations of the particle size, calorific value, moisture- and ash content of waste derived fuel, and examination of its heavy metal content

Abstract

Significant development has taken place in the field of waste management recently in the preparation of the energetic exploitation of recyclable, non-hazardous municipal solid waste. With mechanical-biological waste treatment, 35-40% of the weight of this waste can be made appropriate for energetic exploitation, mainly for co-incineration in cement factories and power plants. The recoverability of waste derived fuel produced in mechanical-biological waste treatment plants highly depends on the burning and combustion technological properties of the mixture, and on its compounds influencing burning and different emissions. Waste recovery facilities do not take over fuel below a specific calorific value and over a given heavy metal, halogen and pollutant content. In our research we were looking for correlations in the particle size, calorific value, moisture-, ash- and heavy metal content of waste derived fuel. On the basis of the measurement results, the connection between the particle size fractions and the fuel properties can clearly be stated. The fractions of smaller particle size have higher moisture-, ash- and heavy metal content, while the fractions of bigger particle size have higher calorific value.