Treatment and reuse of incineration bottom ash

Considerable technical advances in the cleaning of flue gases from waste incineration have increasingly made solid residues from the process the main emission route for inorganic contaminants. Appropriate strategies to manage waste incineration residues are therefore required and have driven scientific research toward finding environmentally sound solutions. Among the various types of solid residues from waste incineration, bottom ash (BA) is generated in the largest amounts and is recognized as the most suited for use. Several techniques have been developed for processing incinerator BA in view of reuse in various applications. Generally, valuable components of BA include ferrous and nonferrous metals as well as the mineral fraction. This chapter provides, on the basis of documented scientific literature studies and information about technical applications, an overview of the physical, chemical, mineralogical, and leaching properties of incinerator BA, along with relevant techniques proposed for BA processing. The chapter was compiled by members of the pHOENIX working group on Management of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Residues, which was established in 2002 in Vienna with a focus on promoting sustainable solutions with respect to the treatment, use, and disposal of incineration residues. In 2002, the working group was included as a task group under the International Waste Working Group.