Abstract: The process provides for disposal of waste materials, including municipal waste such as garbage, industrial wastes, waste materials including rubber and plastics based materials, and ash waste from municipal waste incinerators and toxic waste incinerators. The waste is charged to a reactor, of a top-submerged lancing injector reactor system, containing a molten slag bath maintained in a turbulent condition, during charging of the waste, by top-submerged injection therein of a free-oxygen containing gas, using at least one top-submerged lance of the system. The waste is taken into the molten bath and is caused to circulate therein to a combustion/oxidation zone generated by the top-submerged injection. Constituents of the waste are subjected to free-oxygen of the injected gas in that zone and to heat energy of the slag, and thereby combusted/oxidised and/or decomposed.

Abstract: A process for smelting metallurgical waste material containing at least one iron compound, at lest one heavy metal, and at least one toxic element. The waste material and a reductant are introduced into a furnace. Heat is applied to the waste material and to the reductant to form a melt under reducing conditions whereby volatilization of the heavy metal occurs and a matte or speiss is formed in which the toxic element is stabilized. Fuel and an oxidizing gas are introduced into the melt by submerged injection to create a submerged oxidizing region. The melt is circulated to the submerged oxidizing region and is oxidized causing volatilization of the toxic element stabilized in the matte or speiss.