Emission characteristics and control technology of heavy metals during collaborative treatment of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash in iron ore sintering process

The municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWI-FA) contains a large amount of heavy metals, and the process of iron ore sintering and treating fly ash needs to pay attention to the migration characteristics of heavy metals. The impact of the application of MSWI-FA in the sintering process on the emission law of heavy metals in the collaborative treatment process was studied, and corresponding control technologies were proposed. The results showed that the direct addition of water washing fly ash (WM-FA) powder resulted in varying degrees of increase in heavy metal elements in the sinter. As the amount of WM-FA added increases, the content of heavy metal elements correspondingly increases, and an appropriate amount of WM-FA added is 0.5%–1.0%. The migration mechanism of heavy metals during the sintering treatment of WM-FA was clarified. Heavy metals are mainly removed through direct and indirect chlorination reactions, and Cu and Cr can react with SiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ in the sintered material to solidify in the sinter. Corresponding control techniques have been proposed to reduce the heavy metal elements in WM-FA through the pre-treatment of WM-FA. When the WM-FA was fed in the middle and lower layers of the sintered material, the high temperature of the lower layer was utilized to promote the removal of heavy metals. The Ni element content has decreased from 130 to 90 mg kg⁻¹, and the Cd removal rate has increased by 23%. The removal rates of Cd and Cr elements increase by 2.4 and 5.5 times, respectively. There is no significant change in sintering indexes.