Role of copper chloride in the formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans during incineration

Combustion experiments in a laboratory-scale fluidized-bed reactor were performed to elucidate the role of copper chloride in formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) during model waste incineration. The amounts of PCDDs and PCDFs formed, the homologue profiles, and the isomer distributions were measured in the flue gas from incineration of model wastes containing various levels of copper. A correlation was found between the Cu content of the waste and the proportion of each congener. An increase in copper enhanced the formation of certain congeners, showing that copper acts as a catalyst for formation of PCDDs and PCDFs. An increase in the copper content of the waste decreased the CO concentration in the flue gas and reduced the formation of PCDDs and PCDFs during incineration. This indicates that copper also works as an oxidation catalyst to promote combustion, leading to lower concentrations of products of incomplete combustion. It is indispensable to consider both roles of the catalyst, i.e., enhancement and suppression, in the formation of PCDDs and PCDFs during waste incineration, which are estimated separately from the isomer distributions and the amounts of PCDDs and PCDFs formed.