Chemical speciation and leaching properties of elements in municipal incinerator ashes

Different chemical properties of bottom ash and fly ash from municipal solid waste incinerators were compared based on the results of the five measuring techniques: (1) total contents and leaching amounts by regulatory leaching test in Japan; (2) leaching properties by pH-dependent leaching test; (3) modeling of pH-dependent leaching test using model compounds; (4) enriched chemical composition compared with bulk composition by an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS); (5) estimation of chemical states of elements by XPS analysis. The difference between bottom ash and EP ash was clearly found in element content, leaching behavior and release rate. The release rates of many elements in bottom ash were lower than in electrostatic precipitation (EP) ash even in an acidic condition of pH 3 as well as at the inherent pH of 12. Corresponding to the relatively complicated components in bottom ash, leaching patterns depending on pH were not simple. Comparison between the pH-dependent pattern of Ca in a sample and in model compounds resulted in the estimation of some Ca compounds in ash. The surface analysis by XPS showed results that Na, Cl, Zn, Pb and S were enriched in EP ash and Fe and Ti were rarely found in the surface of ash. Possible chemical states of Na, Ca, K, Cl and S were estimated by a new method of comparing binding energies of standard compounds and their mixtures.