Treatment of Ion-Exchange Resins by Fluidized Bed Incinerator Equipped with Copper Oxide Catalyst Fundamental Studies

Abstract

Abstract Thermal decomposition behavior for ion-exchange resins in air flow was examined by differential thermobalance. The resins were decomposed in three steps: first, by water evaporation; second, by functional group decomposition, and finally by base polymers combustion. Following this work, the incineration of resins was examined, using a fluidized bed incinerator with copper oxide catalyst, which had been installed at the freeboard. The resins were burned at about 750°C in fluidized bed. Any combustibles remaining in the off-gas were incinerated by catalytic oxidation at the surface of the copper oxide catalyst at 650°C. From this experiment, it was confirmed that the incineration with copper oxide catalyst is feasible for treatment of ion-exchange resins. In-situ desulfurization of nascent sulfur dioxide in fluidized bed by Ca(OH)2 was also examined, and was found effective. However, the excess Ca(OH)2 would be adsorbed on the surface of the catalyst or accumulated in pipelines, and further block the gas flow. Therefore, an advanced method for desulfurization should be developed. KEYWORDS: ion exchange resinthermal decompositionfluidized bed incineratorscombustioncopper oxidescatalystscatalytic oxidationsulfur dioxidescalcium hydroxidesdesulfurization