Fate of antimony in municipal solid waste incineration

The average antimony concentration in municipal solid waste is estimated to be about 10–60 ppm. Thermodynamical models predict a volatile behavior for antimony compounds, yet literature mass balances show that about 50% of the antimony input remains in the grate ashes. This fact can be explained by the formation of thermally stable antimonates in the fuel bed due to interactions with alkali or earth-alkali metals. Thermogravimetric experiments revealed an increased thermal stability for antimony oxide in presence of oxygen and calcium oxide. Spiking experiments on the test incinerator TAMARA showed that chlorination processes have a strong effect on antimony volatilization whereas high fuel-bed temperatures and addition of antimony oxide only have a moderate effect. In the grate ashes, antimony shows a pH-depending leaching property, which is typical for anionic species. This fact supports the thesis that antimony is present in the grate ashes in an anionic speciation.