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102 <br />Comprehensive Review of <br />Solid Waste Collection and Disposal Options. <br />including MSW. Plasma arcs were commercialized in the metallurgical industry where the high <br />temperatures produced in the reactor vessel (potentially up to 10,000 °C) are used to create <br />special alloys. Some of the electric power generated by the plant is siphoned off to power the <br />torches. The basic plasma are process is shown in Exhibit 12 -7. <br />Exhibit 12 -7. Basic Plasma Gasification Process <br />THERMAL <br />(Plcisrna Gcisificcition) <br />Air, 0, or <br />$te o ra <br />/ • power <br />flASW p` generation by <br />Air Lcck ' various means <br />CMRFD,[], reactor •other use in <br />{Gasr6ier; Manufacturing <br />T Treatment <br />s 4 Herat SoLrca <br />(plasm torch,) iz Cooling Water Slag <br />Blowdown <br />12.4.1.2 Autoclave <br />The basic autoclave process has been in commercial use for decades, primarily in the medical <br />field for sterilizing instruments, some manufacturing uses and in the sterilizing of medical <br />wastes. In an autoclave process for solid waste, mixed MSW is fed into a reactor vessel where it <br />is subjected to heat, pressure and agitation. The reactor conditions cause the organic fraction of <br />the waste (i.e., food scraps, fiber /paper products and vegetation) to break down into a pulp -like <br />substance that potentially has reuse applications depending on the degree of post- processing <br />selected. <br />The pulp has been demonstrated with a few systems to be a useful soil conditioner and also is <br />being tested for use as feedstock for the production of ethanol, an alternative vehicle fuel and in <br />the production of a RDP for combustion in power plants. The process also claims to provide a <br />higher quality recyclable product. PIastic recyclable materials are softened and occupy less <br />volume downstream. Product labels on glass, plastics and metals are totally removed and these <br />materials also arc cleaned and sterilized. A basic autoclave process is shown in Exhibit 12 -8. <br />v2.1 168 10/22/12 <br />