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What Is Incineration & Distillation?

Incineration is the process of combusting organic matter in a furnace at high temperatures so that the only products left behind are ash, flue gases and heat. After incineration, distillation of the flue gases takes care of the pollutants, and therefore the gases released afterward are pure and eco-friendly. It is considered one of the best waste disposal options available today. But incineration has its critics as well.

  1. The Basics of Incineration

    • Incineration is a simple process of compacting the waste and then combusting it at extreme temperatures to reduce the volume and quantity of waste. The Encyclopedia of Earth suggests that, "Though particulate matter, such as ash, remains after the incineration, the sheer volume of the waste is reduced by about 85 percent." This means that solid waste that would normally be disposed of in landfills could be reduced dramatically in volume through incineration before being sent to landfills.

    Advantages of Incineration

    • The advantage of doing this is twofold. First, 70 percent less area is required to dispose of incinerated materials. Second, incineration removes almost all environmentally polluting substances from the ash. It results in cleaner and smaller landfills and therefore more land for development and cultivation. Also, incinerators need not be massive in size or structure. They can be small and portable, such as those used by mobile medical units, which need to dispose of contaminated or diseased livestock immediately before any infection can spread.

    Functionality

    • Many people believe that incineration is an unsustainable method of dealing toxic waste. According to Zerowasteamerica.org, "incinerations do not eliminate waste, but change the form of waste into hazardous air emissions and toxic ash." Studies point to the harm that flue gases released from incinerators can cause. What these studies neglect to show is that through distillation and other filtration processes, these harmful gases can be removed, and the exhaust of the incinerators made environment friendly. Second, updating the old systems would weaken the arguments of critics.

    Distillation

    • Distillation is the process of separating various constituents of a gas or liquid. In case of gases, they are cooled to low temperatures, and gases that have a higher boiling point liquefy earlier than the rest. These gases are removed first and the rest are removed at later stages. Incinerators use this process to ensure flue gases are made free of harmful pollutants, and clean air is released. The environmentally hazardous gases are separated and stored. They can come in handy for other industries.

    Incinerators Coupled With Distillation

    • Incinerators that are well planned and run not only reduce the solid waste quantity but also help in power production as well. According to Siemens, the German gas turbine maker, the exhaust gases released from waste incinerators can be recycled and purified, and burnt in a gas turbine to generate power and electricity. The heat generated during the process can also be used to boil water and create steam that eventually could turn turbines in power stations.

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