Abstract: Harmful constituents are removed from non-combustible solid waste, such as incinerator ash, by continuously feeding a mixture of the solid waste and a combustible excitation material into a reaction chamber, igniting the mix in said chamber and causing it to react in the presence of oxygen until the heat of the reaction causes the solid waste material to become a molten slag and the temperature within the chamber above the molten slag is high enough to destroy substantially all of the harmful constituents in the gaseous effluent released by the formation of the molten slag. The excess molten slag is conducted from the reaction chamber. The effluent is conducted from the reaction chamber into a second chamber where it is rapidly cooled to cause particulate material to precipitate out of the effluent. The effluent is thereafter treated to remove substantially all of the remaining particulate and harmful gases to achieve acceptable environmental quality. The thus treated effluent is released into the atmosphere.

Abstract: Coherent radiation is used to provide the energy, excite and sustain of plasma in which solid waste materials are reduced to a slag-like material from which has been removed the more harmful constituents. The effluvia of the plasma reduction process is scrubbed to remove particulates and the gas is processed by additional heating to eliminate products of incomplete combustion and/or chemically convert harmful constituents. The remaining gas is then safely exhausted into the atmosphere. The solid waste material may be the ash by-product of prior incineration.

Abstract: Harmful constituents are removed from non-combustible solid waste, such as incinerator ash, by continuously feeding a mixture of the solid waste and a combustible excitation material into a reaction chamber, igniting the mix in said chamber and causing it to react in the presence of oxygen until the heat of the reaction causes the solid waste material to become a molten slag and the temperature within the chamber above the molten slag is high enough to destroy substantially all of the harmful constituents in the gaseous effluent released by the formation of the molten slag. The excess molten slag is conducted from the reaction chamber. The effluent is conducted from the reaction chamber into a second chamber where it is rapidly cooled to cause particulate material to precipitate out of the effluent. The effluent is thereafter treated to remove substantially all of the remaining particulate and harmful gases to achieve acceptable environmental quality. The thus treated effluent is released into the atmosphere.

Abstract: Coherent radiation is used to provide the energy, excite and sustain of plasma in which solid waste materials are reduced to a slag-like material from which has been removed the more harmful constituents. The effluvia of the plasma reduction process is scrubbed to remove particulates and the gas is processed by additional heating to eliminate products of incomplete combustion and/or chemically convert harmful constituents. The remaining gas is then safely exhausted into the atmosphere. The solid waste material may be the ash by-product of prior incineration.