Corrosion and stability of vitrified material derived from municipal solid waste

Abstract

Advanced high-temperature technologies for the treatment of municipal solid wastes or residues from conventional incineration can produce vitrified materials with superior physical and chemical characteristics compared to conventional residues (bottom ash, fly ash, filter cake). These materials, which may contain significant metal concentrations, exhibit favourable thermodynamic characteristics and very low contaminant release when subjected to corrosion. Owing to low leachability, these materials could possibly be used as secondary raw materials for civil engineering applications, although the energy demand for their production is high. This chapter presents the physical and chemical characteristics of a range of vitrified materials originating from various high-temperature technologies; their behaviour under highly aggressive conditions of corrosion and their thermodynamic stability are also presented. It is concluded that such high-temperature materials are indeed less likely to be damaging to the environment than conventional residues.