What happens to the toxic byproduct from burning the waste?
How is the energy harnessed, stored and ultimately used?
Why aren’t more countries doing this? Limitations?
Thanks
In: Other
I’ve done some reading about Tire and Plastic Derived Fuels (TDF; PDF) lately.
TDF plants generally operate in one of 2 ways. The first is shredded rubber as an additive to or direct coal replacement. This is the most efficient way to collect energy from tires as it consumes the entire product as it burns. The ash contains toxic metals that are used in the vulcanization process of the rubber and needs to be handled appropriately. The second is destructive pyrolysis of rubber to liquid / gaseous fuels like propane, butane, gasoline, diesel etc. These could then be used as fuel oils to generate electricity or fuel transport, stoves etc. The heavier oils can also be used as lubricant base stock. It’s essentially recovered crude oil.
PDF has largely the same story but the resulting oils tend towards the lighter end of the spectrum.
Other organic based trash like wood, paper and cardboard that can’t be recycled are used in much the same way, either pyrolyzed and stored as a saleable fuel or burned directly in a solids burner.
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