Destruction and Vitrification of Asbestos Using Plasma Arc Technology (Construction Productivity Advancement Research (CPAR) Program)
Abstract
Exposure to asbestos fibers creates a serious risk to public safety and health. The Department of Defense (DoD) faces multimillion-dollar rehabilitation costs for asbestos removal and disposal of asbestos-containing materials (ACM) from military facilities. Very few landfills are certified to receive ACM, and as these disposal sites are filled and closed, ACM disposal costs are expected to rise substantially. Plasma arc destruction of ACM could provide an effective, economical, and timely solution to the asbestos disposal problem. The high temperatures achievable with plasma arc torch technology can melt and vitrify asbestos and ACM into a chemically inert, glasslike residue that may be safely placed in any landfill. At plasma torch furnace temperatures above 1,300 deg C, 25 pounds of pure chrysotile asbestos in metal canisters were fed into the furnace over 35 minutes. Furnace residence times varied from 6 to 41 minutes. The vitrified asbestos residue, metal canister residue, residues found inside the furnace, and air samples inside and outside the process gas stream were tested for asbestos fibers. The amounts found were negligible by EPA standards, demonstrating that plasma arc technology can be an environmentally safe, efficient, and effective method of destroying and vitrifying pure chrysotile asbestos. Asbestos-containing materials (ACM), Environmental compliance, Asbestos in building, Asbestos abatement industry, Plasma arc technology
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA273894
Entities
People
- Hany H. Zaghloul
- Louis J. Circeo
Organizations
- Construction Engineering Research Laboratory