Plasma Arc Gasification

Plasma Arc Gasification (PAG) is an evolving waste treatment technology that utilizes heat
generated from the mixture of high temperature and electrical charges to produce usable products
from waste products. It is often confused with incineration which involves complete combustion
of waste to ashes while PAG converts the waste into gaseous fuels, precious materials and all the
inorganic products are nitrified into a lump of waste called slag. This process is done in the
absence of oxygen that is why it is different from incineration is done in free oxygen until
complete combustion.

In the PAG process an electrical arc gasifier passes a very high voltage electrical current through
two electrodes, creating an arc between them. Inert gas, which is under high pressure, then
passes through the electrical arc into a sealed container (called a plasma converter) of waste
materials. Temperatures in the arc column can reach more than 14,000 °C (25,000 °F), which is
hotter than the surface of the Sun. Exposed to such temperatures, most waste is transformed into
gas consisting of basic elements, while complex molecules are torn apart into individual atoms.
The by-products of plasma arc gasification consist of the following:

Syngas: It is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Waste materials, including plastics,
contain high amounts of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and the conversion rate of those
materials into syngas can exceed 99 percent. Before the syngas can be used for power, it must be
cleansed of harmful materials such as hydrogen chloride. Once cleaned, the syngas can be
burned like natural gas, with a portion going to power the plasma arc gasification plant and the
remainder being sold to utility companies, which also use it primarily for producing electricity.

Slag: It is a solid residue resembling obsidian, can be cleaned of contaminants, including heavy
metals such as mercury and cadmium, and processed into bricks and synthetic gravel.

Residual Heat: It emanates from the process and can be used to produce steam for electrical
generation.

The composition of the waste stream can affect the effectiveness of the gasification procedure.
Waste that is high in inorganic materials, such as metals and construction waste, will yield less
syngas, which is the most-valuable by-product, and more slag. For that reason, it may be
worthwhile in certain settings to presort the waste stream. If waste can be shredded before it
enters the gasification chamber, the efficiency of the PAG is improved.

Processing of E-waste and Tailings Waste:

Electronic waste is increasing constantly. It is raising concerns and questions regarding the waste
management of e-waste. These waste products are somewhat reusable, but they also have some
limitations. The recovery, reuse and recycling of components, materials and substances in
electrical and electronic equipment are given in Table 1. In past, mechanical methods have been
adopted to recycle the plastic pieces and their positive use in process industry. But it has proved
inefficient in terms of economic and environmental benefits. Combustion of plastic products is
also not the solution because it generates toxic products which is very harmful for environment.
There are a many toxic and dangerous products like cadmium, arsenic, lead, furans and dioxin
producing from the combustion of e-waste which even can be found in smaller products like cell
phones. They are constantly polluting air and can be there for years. Therefore, electronic waste
is categorized into a dangerous category of waste.

Table 1
E-Waste Rate of Re-use Components, materials
(%) and fabrics recycling rate
(%)
Large Household Appliances 80 75
Small Household Appliances 70 50
IT Components and Equipment 75 65
Consumer Electronics 75 65
Electronic Machines 70 50
Machines for Monitoring and Control 70 50

Plasma gasification is an emerging technology in waste management system. It is being utilized

to achieve economic and environmentally friendly solutions to get rid of waste products.
Currently, it is being deployed for municipal solid waste in different countries. But some local
and organized initiatives are working on processing electronic products waste & mining tailing
waste to recover precious metals. This process consists of the following four fundamental steps.

1. Crushing: E-waste is crushed into small fragments of size about 5 mm. The crushing is
important because it makes the waste feedable to the plasma process.
2. Smelting: In this step, e-waste is smelted by heating with plasma torch in the absence of
oxygen. It will generate the required products according to the type of waste.
3. Separating: In this step, each component is separated based on its properties and uses.
Hazardous products are separated to avoid their combustion which can produce harmful
products for environment. Metals and other precious items are separated at the bottom
with the slag.
4. Collection: In the final step, precious metals and slag are recovered in the bottom of
process tank while syngas is collected in a separated tank for further processing to make
it perfect for fueling purpose.

The revenue generation of the process can be divided into to kinds (1) metal recover (2) energy
generation. Each type of electronic waste has its own potential for recovery metals and syngas.
The potential of e-waste to produce precious metals from small home appliances can be
understood from the tables 2,3,4 which contain the relevant information.
 Table 2: Composition of Metal Alloy
Composition
Metal
(w. %)
Cu 80.5
Al 7.21
Si 4.89
Sn 3.91
Fe 2.44
Ni 0.316
Cr 0.157
Ag 0.0563
Au 0.0163
S 0.0095
Cd 0.00046
Te > 0.144
C > 0.0732
Zn < 0.003
Pb < 0.05
Sb < 0.0035
Co < 0.0015
Be < 0.0001
B < 0.0004
Pt < 0.002

Table 3: Composition of Slag

Composition
Compound
(w. %)
CaO 46.71
Al2O3 31.16
SiO2 3.27
MgO 0.12
Cu 13.03
Fe total 0.55
Sn 0.132
Zn 0.071
Pb 0.028
Ag 0.0046
Sum 80.62

Table 4: Composition of fly ash

Composition
Compound
(w. %)
C 40.02
CaO 16.04
MgO 10.35
SiO2 5.60
 Cu 6.13
Pb 3.90
Zn 1.45
Fe total 0.19
Cd 0.01
Sum 83.69
Humidity 3.55

Similarly, the second source of waste is the mining trailing waste. Trailing waste is the leftover
waste from the mining process when extraction of ores has been completed, and the site has been
closed by the stake holders. It mainly consists of ore, rocks and mining process waste. The metal
recovery from mining trailing depend on the following parameters.

1. Type of metallic ore

2. Type of mining process
3. Location of mining facility

These parameters will decide the type and percentage of recovered metals. Some mining
processes are cost efficient but do not extract maximum possible quantity of metals. In this way,
higher amount can be found in trailing waste which can be economic for plasm gasification of
trailing waste. Similarly, plasma gasification of expensive metals will also be beneficial to cover
the expenses and give profit in the end. If a survey is conducted based on above parameters, it
will be helpful in doing the cost analysis of the process and revenue generation capacities of the
process.

Economic Analysis:

In a plasm gasification unit, there are following the most important expenses which should be
taken into consideration for a fair economic analysis. The expenses may vary from region to
region. Therefore, in this section, only general economic indicators are being given which can be
used to carry a final analysis based on regional prices of the components.

Expenses:

Capital Cost: It is the cost of infrastructure and machinery which is one-time investment on the
whole set-up.
Operating Cost: It is the highest cost in plasma gasification. It includes the following two
important costs:

1. Plasma Torch Cost

2. Fuel Cost
3. Syngas Refining Cost
4. Staff Expenditure
5. Maintenance Cost

The operating cost of plasma gasification and refining cost of syngas are the main expenses of
the process. It is too much higher than any other means of waste processing. The plasma torches
are too much expensive and are required to place after certain time. Furthermore, the
maintenance cost should also be taken into consideration in economic analysis.

Revenues:

The revenue generation of a plasma gasification plant can be categorized in terms of the
following parameters:

Metals Recovery: The primary source of revenue generation is the recovery of precious metals
from electronic waste and mining trailing waste. The amount of total metal recovery from
electronic waste and trailing waste may vary due to the quality of waste. For instance, the
metallic recovery data given in the above tables is specifically for small home appliances. It
would be somewhat different from other electronic components. Similarly, changing the type of
mining waste and mining process would alter the recovery rate of precious metals.

Energy Generation: The second most important revenue generation source of plasma gasification
of waste especially e-waste is the generation of energy in terms Syngas. It is widely used as a
fuel to run turbines in power generation plants. In this way, generated electricity can be sold to
generate revenue. The miscellaneous cost of generated electricity should also be included in the
expenses especially the refining cost of syngas. It is, therefore, important source of energy when
hydrocarbons are involved in the waste. E-waste is also a good source of syngas as it contains
hydrocarbons in the form of plastic polymers. It can produce a significant amount of energy
through the e-plastic waste.
Environmental Impact:

Plasma gasification is an environmentally friendly process than any of other waste treatment
process. The closest process of plasma gasification is the incineration which is equivalent to
combustion. In this process, waste products are burnt which causes the generation of dangerous
toxic products like arsenic, lead, furans and dioxins. Therefore, plasma gasification is far better
than such processes in this regard. The following figure from EPA Environmental Technology
Verification Testing (2000) is a valuable source to evaluate environmental aspects of plasma
gasification.

However, the impacts cannot be totally ruled out as it has some loopholes which needs to be
taken care of. The following sources of toxic and hazardous products generation are very viable.

1. Purification of Syngas can produce toxic products in after processing

2. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are odorless, tasteless, viscous liquids and likely to be
carcinogens. They are very tough to remove and very stable compounds. Their
destruction is difficult, and, with partial oxidation, they are likely to produce highly toxic
dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans. The best treatment to degrade them is very high heat
or catalysis.
3. Collection of mining waste can produce air pollution which should be taken care of.
4. Gasification process can give off small particles into the air.