Apparatus for converting Spent Pot Lining (SPL) into inert slag, aluminum fluoride and energy includes a plasma arc furnace such that the destruction of SPL occurs therein. The furnace generates an electric arc within the waste, which arc travels from an anode to a cathode and destroys the waste due to the arc's extreme temperature, thereby converting a mineral fraction of SPL into vitrified inert slag lying within a crucible of the furnace. The furnace gasifies the carbon content of the SPL and produces a well-balanced syngas. The gasification takes place due to the controlled intake of air and steam into the furnace. The gasification reaction liberates significant amount of energy. Steam captures this excess energy, to provide part of the oxygen requirement for gasification and to contribute to raise the syngas H2 content. Steam also contributes to converting some SPL fluorides (NaF and Al2F3) into hydrogen fluoride. The plasma SPL processing system is compact (occupying less area than some competitive methods of SPL treatment), can be installed in close proximity to the aluminium plant (minimizing transportation of SPL and AlF3), and requires only electricity as its energy source and thus no fossil fuels.

A method for heat-treating battery waste containing lithium includes: allowing an atmospheric gas containing oxygen and at least one selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapor to flow in a heat treatment furnace in which the battery waste is arranged, and heating the battery waste while adjusting an oxygen partial pressure in the furnace.

Provided is a method for delaminating a composite by immersing the composite into a delamination solution; wherein the composite comprises a substrate and a coating applied on one side or both sides of the substrate comprising a polymeric binder; and wherein the polymeric binder comprises a copolymer comprising a structural unit derived from an acid group-containing monomer. The use of weak acid-containing delamination solution allows for complete delamination of the composite in a highly efficient manner. Furthermore, the delamination method disclosed herein circumvents complex separation process, contamination and corrosion of substrate and enables an excellent materials recovery. An application of the method for delaminating an electrode for a battery is also disclosed.

The invention relates to a glass melting process comprising melting glass cullet in a submerged combustion melter comprising at least one submerged burner, under oxidizing conditions, wherein the glass cullet comprises increased levels of contaminants.

In a process for treating wastewater from a combined gasification and Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process, feedstock derived from Municipal Solid Waste or the like is gasified in a reactor (R) and treated in a cleanup unit (C) which generates a first wastewater stream (1st WWT STREAM) containing salts and inorganic pollutants. The first wastewater stream is treated in a treatment unit (T1) to remove inorganic pollutants derived from the syngas The treatment comprises a) degassing, and subsequently b) neutralising the first wastewater stream before treatment in a Dissolved Air Flotation unit (72c) and filtering in a moving sand bed or similar (72d) to remove solids, and a stripping process to remove ammonia. A second wastewater stream (2.sup.nd WWT Stream) containing organic pollutants but being low in salts arises from the F-T process and is treated separately to allow recycling within the F-T process.

In a process for treating wastewater from a combined gasification and Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process, feedstock derived from Municipal Solid Waste or the like is gasified in a reactor (R) and treated in a cleanup unit (C) which generates a first wastewater stream (1st WWT STREAM) containing salts and inorganic pollutants. The first wastewater stream is treated in a treatment unit (T1) to remove inorganic pollutants derived from the syngas The treatment comprises a) degassing, and subsequently b) neutralising the first wastewater stream before treatment in a Dissolved Air Flotation unit (72c) and filtering in a moving sand bed or similar (72d) to remove solids, and a stripping process to remove ammonia. A second wastewater stream (2.sup.nd WWT Stream) containing organic pollutants but being low in salts arises from the F-T process and is treated separately to allow recycling within the F-T process.

A method for thermally decomposing a carbonaceous waste material including: filling a reactor defined by a reactor wall with the waste material and an auxiliary material, resulting in a reactor content, the auxiliary material including abrasive particles; heating the reactor contents in the absence of oxygen, such that gaseous products are formed by pyrolysis of the waste material and the abrasive particles do not melt or thermally decompose; moving the reactor contents during the pyrolysis, the moving being adapted to mix the reactor contents and to cause the abrasive particles to scrape over at least parts of the reactor wall. The auxiliary material has a composition to include a component adapted to bind halogens present in the gaseous products and/or so that the brittleness of the auxiliary material is greater than the brittleness of the reactor wall.

A method for thermally decomposing a carbonaceous waste material including: filling a reactor defined by a reactor wall with the waste material and an auxiliary material, resulting in a reactor content, the auxiliary material including abrasive particles; heating the reactor contents in the absence of oxygen, such that gaseous products are formed by pyrolysis of the waste material and the abrasive particles do not melt or thermally decompose; moving the reactor contents during the pyrolysis, the moving being adapted to mix the reactor contents and to cause the abrasive particles to scrape over at least parts of the reactor wall. The auxiliary material has a composition to include a component adapted to bind halogens present in the gaseous products and/or so that the brittleness of the auxiliary material is greater than the brittleness of the reactor wall.

There is provided a method and composition for sequestration of arsenic, the method comprising melting an arsenic-containing material in the presence of iron oxide and glass, and yielding a resulting glass incorporating arsenic. The resulting glass has an arsenic content comprised in a range between 1 and 25% w/w and an iron content comprised in a range between 8 and 20% w/w.

The method for separation of metals from electronic cards includes a step of processing the electronic cards in an aqueous medium under supercritical conditions. The method also a later step of crushing solid materials coming from the treatment under supercritical conditions.