Reductions in hazardous waste materials disposal is an area that continues to carry National urgency. Wastes generated from glass bead abrasive blasting operations contain heavy metals and other constituents which can result in a hazardous waste classification. The work outlined here proposes to utilize the glass bead wastes as a raw material in a process to reduce and react heavy metals wastes, forming marketable ferroalloys. This process would be fueled by a waste solid fuel material, and the process would yield a non-hazardous by-product which could be used in the construction industry as structural fill. Conventional modular equipment can be employed in this processing scenario. A successful test program as outlined in this proposal would provide an economical alternative to hazardous waste treatment and eliminate the liabilities and costs associated with hazardous waste disposal. This Phase I work will be directed to establishing the conditions necessary to utilize the glass bead wastes in the reduction and reaction of the metal compounds and effect their separation from the heavy metal waste materials. Phase II would proceed to a pilot scale melter, with particular attention to melter design.
Benefit: A successful separation/purification process utilizing glass bead wastes and waste solid fuels (as described within this proposal) for heavy metal reduction processing would offer an economical alternative for treatment of metals-contaminated hazardous waste. Potential revenues from this treatment process (for the end-user) would include: a) toll charges to generators of heavy metal-contaminated hazardous wastes for treatment of these hazardous wastes, b) sale of ferroalloys to the metallurgical industries, and c) sale of the coproduct slag for use as structural fill.
Keywords: blasting, blasting, furnace, abrasive, hazardous, Metals, Heavy, Reduction, wastes, glass beads, separation
