70648-22-5

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.

Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are known to be emitted from municipal waste incinerators (MWIs) with polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs). Two formation paths for PCDD/Fs could mainly work, which are condensation of the precursors such as chlorophenols and 'de novo' formation from carbon. However the correlation between the chemical structure of carbon and the resulting PCDD/Fs still remains unknown. In this study, the PCDD/Fs formation from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and CuCl was examined at 400 under 10% O2. Coronene among the PAHs characteristically gave 1,2,8,9-T4CDF and the derivatives. These isomers clearly indicate that chlorination causes the cleavage of the C-C bonds in a coronene molecule and also that oxygen is easily incorporated from its outside to form 1,2,8,9-T4CDF. The symmetrical preformed structures in the coronene molecule enabled to amplify the de novo formation of the isomer. PCNs are also formed directly from these PAHs. Since there have been few reports on the formation mechanism of PCNs, this study will be a first step to know the whole formation paths. We also define the de novo synthesis as the breakdown reaction of a carbon matrix, since the word has been used without the precise definition.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and dibenzofurans (PCDF) emitted from municipal waste incinerators appear to have a chlorination pattern that is quite constant across various samples and conditions. This suggested that these patterns may be controlled by thermodynamic properties of the individual PCDD/F congeners, such as the free Gibbs energy of formation (Δg°(f,T)). This would make prediction of the isomer composition of a particular sample (and hence its TEQ value) possible, based on values of ΔG°(f,T). A laboratory scale study was carried out with activated carbon on fly ash as the source of PCDD/F formation. Although it was found that the isomer distributions within homologues were independent of the reaction time (proof of thermodynamic control), other observations (lack of equilibrium/isomerization between isomers and lack of similarity between isomer distributions measured and predicted by ΔG°(f,T)) contradicted the possibility of thermodynamic control. Hence, this study could not confirm that de novo formation of PCDD/F could explain thermodynamically controlled isomer distributions in incinerators. Some recommendations for further work- time-based studies with precursors, isomerization studies with single congeners, and more data on ΔG°(f,T) values of PCDD/F-were made. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and dibenzofurans (PCDF) emitted from municipal waste incinerators appear to have a chlorination pattern that is quite constant across various samples and conditions. This suggested that these patterns may be controlled by thermodynamic properties of the individual PCDD/F congeners, such as the free Gibbs energy of formation (ΔG°f,T). This would make prediction of the isomer composition of a particular sample (and hence its TEQ value) possible, based on values of ΔG°f,T. A laboratory scale study was carried out with activated carbon on fly ash as the source of PCDD/F formation. Although it was found that the isomer distributions within homologues were independent of the reaction time (proof of thermodynamic control), other observations (lack of equilibrium/isomerization between isomers and lack of similarity between isomer distributions measured and predicted by ΔG°f,T) contradicted the possibility of thermodynamic control. Hence, this study could not confirm that de novo formation of PCDD/F could explain thermodynamically controlled isomer distributions in incinerators. Some recommendations for further work - time-based studies with precursors, isomerization studies with single congeners, and more data on ΔG°f,T values of PCDD/F - were made.

The 38 positional isomers of tetrachlorodibenzofuran have been synthesized by pyrolysis of specific polychlorinated biphenyl congeners, ultraviolet photolysis of pentachlorodibenzofurans, and chlorination of trichlorodibenzofurans by aromatic substitution.The specificity of these reactions in combinatiuon with capillary column gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection has allowed each of these isomers to be identified based on their relative elution order.