POLYCHLORINATED DIOXIN FURAN FORMATION IN INCINERATORS

Almost any combination of C, H, O, and Cl can yield some polychlorinated dioxons/furans under suitable conditions of time and temperature. The quantities formed in incinerators, ng m-3 or ng g-1, need to be explained in terms of time/temperature regimes relevant to those units. Current evidence suggests that surface catalyzed reactions at relatively low temperatures (250-400°) may play an important role. This paper reviews relevant evidence from incinerators, laboratory combustors and surface-catalyzed experiments using single precursors. A global kinetic model is proposed and assumptions and parameters are discussed.