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Iron and copper catalysis of PCDD/F formation

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Abstract

The formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) was explored during de novo tests designed to compare the catalytic activity of copper (II) chloride (CuCl2) with that of iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3) and to test some synergistic effect between these two catalytic compounds. Both copper chloride (CuCl2) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) were earlier proposed as catalysts to explain the PCDD/F emissions from, e.g. municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI). In addition, haematite (Fe2O3) is the main iron ore and could be responsible for the typical iron ore sintering plant fingerprint. A total of nine model fly ash (MFA) samples were prepared by mixing and grinding of sodium chloride (NaCl), activated carbon and a powder matrix of silica (SiO2) with the selected metal compound(s). The conditions of these de novo tests were 1 h in duration, 350 °C in a flow of synthetic combustion gas (10 vol.% oxygen in nitrogen). The effect of Fe–Cu catalyst concentration on yield and distribution pattern of PCDD/F was systematically explored; three strongly differing ratios of [Fe]:[Cu] were considered (1:1, 10:1 and 100:1) to study the potential interactions of Fe2O3 and CuCl2 suggested earlier. The results show some slight rise of PCDD/F formed with raising iron concentration from 0 to 10.1 wt% (no Cu added; 0.1 wt% Cu), as well as strong surging of both amount and average chlorination level of PCDD/F when rising amounts of copper (0 to 1.1 wt%) are introduced. The resulting fingerprints are compared with those from sintering and from MSWI.

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Acknowledgments

The National Basic Research Development Program of China (973 program, 2011CB201500) and the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to University (B08026) and Program 111 supported this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Institute for Thermal Power Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Junhong Liao, Jie Yang, Tong Chen & Xiaodong Li

  2. Formerly with Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    Alfons Buekens

  3. University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Kees Olie

Authors
  1. Junhong Liao
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  2. Alfons Buekens
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  3. Kees Olie
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  4. Jie Yang
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  5. Tong Chen
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  6. Xiaodong Li
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Correspondence to Xiaodong Li.

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Responsible editor: Roland Kallenborn

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Liao, J., Buekens, A., Olie, K. et al. Iron and copper catalysis of PCDD/F formation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 2415–2425 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5437-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5437-z

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