RDF Production Potential

of Municipal Solid Waste

RDF Production Potential of Municipal Solid Waste

Tawach Prechthai
Chettiyappan Visvanathan
Chart Chiemchaisri*
Environmental Engineering and Management Program,
Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
*Department of Environmental Engineering, Kasetsart University, Thailand

November 23, 2006

The 2nd Joint International Conference on “Sustainable Energy And Environment (SEE2006)”, Bangkok, Thailand
1
 Outline
• Introduction

• Methodology
RDF Production Potential of Municipal Solid Waste

• Result and Discussion

• Conclusion

2
 Introduction

• Municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal

into the dumpsite (without any
precautionary measure)
RDF Production Potential of Municipal Solid Waste

• Disposal of household hazardous

waste (contained in MSW stream) into
dumpsite

• Leaching of toxicants into the

environment

• Human health and environmental

impact

3
 Landfill Reclamation
• Stabilized waste is excavated and separate any soil fraction
• Recovering of the combustible waste into waste-to–energy plant or the refuse
derived fuel (RDF) production

RDF standard
Parameter EURIST
Italy Finland
Moisture (%) 25.0
RDF Production Potential of Municipal Solid Waste

Ash (%) 20.0

Calorific value (MJ/kg) 15.0
Mn (mg/kg) 400.0 200.0
Cr (mg/kg) 100.0 200.0
Cd (mg/kg) 5.0 10.0
Standard quality of RDF and
Pb (mg/kg) 200.0 200.0 waste co-combusted in
Ni (mg/kg) 40.0 200.0 cement plant (EURIST)
Zn (mg/kg) 500.0 500.0
Cu (mg/kg) 300.0 200.0
Hg (mg/kg) 0.5 2.0

EURIST = European Union for Responsible Incineration and Treatment of Special waste 4
 Objective of the Study
™ To determine the recycling Klong Bang khun Sri

potential of dumped MSW in

N

Nonthaburi dumpsite as RDF

RDF Production Potential of Municipal Solid Waste

Landfill Leachate pond

Leachate pond

Leachate
treatment
plant
Dumpsite
Garden
Paddy field

Maintenance
building Leachate pond

Infectious Paddy field

Paddy field
incineration
plant
• Operated since 1982
• Incoming waste = 900 tons/day
•20% plastic and 65% food waste Klong Ha Roi

Nonthaburi dumpsite 5
 Methodology

1. Solid waste sampling and analysis

4 points x 3 m depth interval

RDF Production Potential of Municipal Solid Waste

Dumpsite

¾ Waste composition (combustible, noncombustible and hazardous waste)

¾ Physical characteristic (bulk density, moisture, ash, calorific value)
¾ Heavy metals concentration (Mn, Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, Zn, Cu, Hg)
¾ Size distribution of solid waste

6
 Methodology
2. Size distribution 25 mm mesh size 50 mm mesh size
analysis of solid waste
Size >50 mm
RDF Production Potential of Municipal Solid Waste

Size <25 mm Size 25-50 mm

Solid waste classification

Dimension: 1 m diameter x 3 m length

Inclination: 12.7˚
Rotational speed: 8 rpm
Motor power: 5 hp
Capacity: 500 kg/h
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 Result and Discussions
1. Solid waste composition

Composition % (w/w)
Plastic 41.5
Wood 9.0
Textile 10.0
RDF Production Potential of Municipal Solid Waste

Combustible Rubber 1.0

Paper 0.7
Foam 1.0 ¾ High percentage of plastic waste of
Nonthaburi dumpsite (41.5%)
Food 1.0
Stone 0.9 • 11.2% of Pathumthani dumpsite,
Thailand
Non- Glass 1.8
combustible • 1.9% of Kodungaiyur, India
Metal 3.0
Soil 30.9 • 11.0% of Perungudi, India

¾ Relative low concentration of soil fraction

•72% of Pathumthani, 67.8% Kodungaiyur and 40.1% of Perungudi
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 Result and Discussions
2. Physical characteristics of solid waste
Parameter Range Mean
Density (kg/m3) 225.0- 412.0 314.0
Calorific value (MJ/kg) 20.2-40.4 29.5
Ash (%) 36.5-79.9 59.8
Moisture (%) 28.6-59.5 47.0
RDF Production Potential of Municipal Solid Waste

3. Heavy metals concentration of solid waste

Heavy metal (mg/kg) Range Mean
Mn 100.0 – 353.0 215.2
Cr 57.5 – 186.0 87.5
Cd 0.9 – 38.0 5.5
Pb 13.2 - 127.0 47.8
Ni 24.2 – 94.0 48.5
Zn 275.4 – 586.5 458.5
Cu 118.8 – 544.6 254.0
Hg 0.2 – 0.5 0.4 9
 Result and Discussions

9 Relative low density of Nonthaburi dumpsite (314.2 kg/m3) compare with

other dumpsite
9 Relative High heating value is available from waste (29.5 MJ/kg)

Parameter Pathumthani Perungudi Kodungaiyur

RDF Production Potential of Municipal Solid Waste

Density (kg/m3) 780-880 960 1100

Calorific value 23.0-27.0 - -
(MJ/kg)
Ash (%) 50-90 - -
Moisture (%) 20-35 - -

¾ Mn, Cd, Zn, and Cu concentration is > standard of waste co-combusted in

the cement plant
¾Ash and Moisture content exceed the RDF standard
¾ Cd, Ni, Zn, Cu concentration is > RDF standard

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 Result and Discussions
4. Size distribution and composition of excavated
waste after trommel screening
Soil
14.0%

Metal Plastic
8.0% 34.0%

25-50mm Glass
>50mm
13.0% 8.0%
69.0%
Stone
3.0%
Foam
RDF Production Potential of Municipal Solid Waste

1.0%
Textile
Rubber
Paper Wood 11.0% Size > 50mm
<25mm 6.0%
4.0% 11.0%
18.0%

Hazardous
Size distribution of excavated waste waste
2.0% Plastic
20.0%

Soil
Textile
31.8%
4.8%
Wood
Paper4.6%
1.4%
Rubber
Foam0.4%
Metal
8.6%
0.4% Size 25-50mm
Glass Stone
9.0%
Size < 25mm 17.0%
11
 Conclusion

¾ Waste composition in the Nonthaburi dumpsite is mainly consist

of plastic and soil fraction
¾ Sufficient calorific value could be available from the waste for
energy production
RDF Production Potential of Municipal Solid Waste

¾ Excavated waste should be processed to improve its quality prior

to fuel generation (Ash, moisture content and Heavy metals)
¾ Recycling of the plastic waste as RDF is possible for Nonthaburi
dumpsite
¾ Waste separation process is necessary to remove the soil and
improve the moisture content of segregated waste

12
 Conclusion
Waste segregation by using trommel screen

¾ 55% of soil fraction is removed into the underflow which is below

the normal range (85-90%)
RDF Production Potential of Municipal Solid Waste

¾ 82% of plastic waste with 34% purity is recovered from the

trommel separation a overflow waste size > 50mm
¾ Further separation process is necessary to improve the plastic
waste quality

13
 RDF Production Potential of Municipal Solid Waste

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