Design of an induction plasma reactor for the reforming of aromatic liquid wastes

During the past decade, thermal plasma technology has been pointed to as one of the most promising innovative technologies for the thermal destruction of hazardous wastes. This contribution to this subject involved a study of the technical feasibility of employing a high frequency (h.f.) induction plasma reactor for thermal treatment of liquid wastes, using toluene reforming as a simulation example of a "waste destruction reaction". The present work includes a thermodynamic study of the Ar-C-H and Ar-C-H-O systems, a parametric study on the effect of injection probe location, the effect of reactor pressure, the effect of the water/toluene ratio and the loading capacity of the h.f. plasma on the destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) and associated byproducts formation. The results of these studies are very encouraging, DRE's greater than 99.99 %, accompanied by minimal formation of soot, PAH's and benzene, have been achieved. The major product of the process, performed at a scale of 40 kW power in all tests, is "syngas" (H-2 + CO).