Garrido, María A., Font, Rafael, Conesa, Juan A.
Pollutant emissions from the pyrolysis and combustion of viscoelastic memory foam
Science of The Total Environment. 2017, 577: 183-194. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.159
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10045/62168
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.159
ISSN: 0048-9697 (Print)
Abstract: 
Thermal degradation of viscoelastic memory foam (VMF) in a horizontal laboratory scale reactor has been studied. Pyrolysis and combustion experiments under sub-stoichiometric conditions were performed at four different temperatures (550 °C, 650 °C, 750 °C and 850 °C) for the determination of pollutants. Analyses of gas and semivolatile compounds, including polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (dl-PCBs) are shown. From the results, it was deduced that pyrolytic conditions favor the formation of PAHs, methane, ethylene, NH3 and dl-PCBs, whereas the presence of oxygen involves a higher emission of PCDD/Fs and simple N-containing compounds such as NO and HCN. The toxic levels calculated for PAHs, PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in all cases were low confirming that the incineration of VMF mattress waste could be a good option for waste management. Nevertheless, relatively high emissions of NO, NH3 and HCN were obtained and their reduction must be considered.
Keywords:VMF, NO, HCN, PAHs, PCDD/Fs, dl-PCBs
Elsevier
info:eu-repo/semantics/article