A method for treatment of ash from incineration plants includes: collecting ash from an incinerator; feeding the collected ash and additional feed material to a gasification/vitrification reactor; vitrifying the ash and additional feed material in the gasification/vitrification reactor, to form a slag of molten material; allowing the slag to flow from the gasification/vitrification reactor and solidify outside the gasification/vitrification reactor; gasifying volatile components in the ash and the additional feed material; combusting syngas generated in the gasification/vitrification reactor in a secondary combustion zone in the gasification/vitrification reactor; and supplying products of the syngas combustion to the incinerator to augment the thermal environments of the incinerator. An apparatus used to practice the method is also provided.

Described are cementitious reagent materials produced from globally abundant inorganic feedstocks. Also described are methods for the manufacture of such cementitious reagent materials and forming the reagent materials as microspheroidal glassy particles. Also described are apparatuses, systems and methods for the thermochemical production of glassy cementitious reagents with spheroidal morphology. The apparatuses, systems and methods makes use of an in-flight melting/quenching technology such that solid particles are flown in suspension, melted in suspension, and then quenched in suspension. The cementitious reagents can be used in concrete to substantially reduce the CO.sub.2 emission associated with cement production.

Described are cementitious reagent materials produced from globally abundant inorganic feedstocks. Also described are methods for the manufacture of such cementitious reagent materials and forming the reagent materials as microspheroidal glassy particles. Also described are apparatuses, systems and methods for the thermochemical production of glassy cementitious reagents with spheroidal morphology. The apparatuses, systems and methods makes use of an in-flight melting/quenching technology such that solid particles are flown in suspension, melted in suspension, and then quenched in suspension. The cementitious reagents can be used in concrete to substantially reduce the CO.sub.2 emission associated with cement production.

Primary inorganic feedstock material is introduced into the melting region of an SCM melter. The material is heated with a burner to form a turbulent melt matrix. The burner exit is disposed below the top surface of the turbulent melt matrix. A mixture of secondary inorganic material and organic material is introduced into the melting region below the top surface of the turbulent melt mixture. The mixture is heated with the burner to incorporate the secondary inorganic material into the turbulent melt matrix and combust at least some of the organic material to produce heat.

A method of forming a rope material from a loose feed scrap includes a number of operations to mechanically bind the loose feed scrap. The feed scrap is collected. The feed scrap is twisted and compressed, operations that may be performed simultaneously. This twisted and compressed feed scrap, now in the form of a rope material, is then fed into a melter system.

A method of and an arrangement for recycling mineral wool waste to mineral wool production includes at least one melting furnace for melting virgin mineral wool raw material, the melting furnace including an inlet for virgin mineral wool raw material and an outlet for molten mineral wool material, a production line connected to the outlet for molten mineral wool material for producing a mineral wool product from the molten mineral wool material. The production line includes a curing oven, a fluidized bed reactor including an exhaust gas duct, an inlet for predetermined primary fuel, an inlet for predetermined bed material, and an outlet for an ash material, the ash material including bottom ash discharged via a bottom outlet from the fluidized bed reactor or fly ash separated by a particle separator from exhaust gas in the exhaust gas duct or a mixture of the bottom ash and the fly ash.

A process for cullet beneficiation by precipitation. A mass of cullet is melted to form a body of molten glass having a heavy metal con ration of greater than 100 ppm. A precipitate agent is introduced into the body of molten glass to form a heavy metal-containing precipitate phase and a liquid beneficiated glass phase within the body of molten glass. The precipitate phase may have a density greater than that of the liquid beneficiated glass phase. Thereafter, the liquid beneficiated glass phase is physically separated from the precipitate phase. The separated liquid beneficiated glass phase has a reduced concentration of heavy metals, as compared to the concentration of heavy metals in the body of molten glass.

Described are cementitious reagent materials produced from globally abundant inorganic feedstocks. Also described are methods for the manufacture of such cementitious reagent materials and forming the reagent materials as microspheroidal glassy particles. Also described are apparatuses, systems and methods for the thermochemical production of glassy cementitious reagents with spheroidal morphology. The apparatuses, systems and methods makes use of an in-flight melting/quenching technology such that solid particles are flown in suspension, melted in suspension, and then quenched in suspension. The cementitious reagents can be used in concrete to substantially reduce the CO.sub.2 emission associated with cement production.

Described are cementitious reagent materials produced from globally abundant inorganic feedstocks. Also described are methods for the manufacture of such cementitious reagent materials and forming the reagent materials as microspheroidal glassy particles. Also described are apparatuses, systems and methods for the thermochemical production of glassy cementitious reagents with spheroidal morphology. The apparatuses, systems and methods makes use of an in-flight melting/quenching technology such that solid particles are flown in suspension, melted in suspension, and then quenched in suspension. The cementitious reagents can be used in concrete to substantially reduce the CO.sub.2 emission associated with cement production.

Methods and apparatus provide for: producing a plasma plume within a plasma containment vessel from a source of plasma gas; feeding an elongate feedstock material having a longitudinal axis into the plasma containment vessel such that at least a distal end of the feedstock material is heated within the plasma plume; and spinning the feedstock material about the longitudinal axis as the distal end of the feedstock material advances into the plasma plume, where the feedstock material is a mixture of compounds that have been mixed, formed into the elongate shape, and at least partially sintered.