Low NOX incineration process

Claim 1

A process for low NO x hazardous waste incineration which comprises incinerating hazardous waste in the presence of air and fuel in a primary incineration zone to produce a first effluent gas stream, the amount of air supplied to said primary zone being in stoichiometric excess with respect to combustible materials provided by the fuel and waste being incinerated, whereby said first effluent gas stream also has excess oxygen with respect to combustible material therein; adding combustible materials to said first effluent gas stream to provide a combustible gas stream having a combustible material content in excess of the oxygen in said combustible gas stream and incinerating said combustible gas stream in a secondary incineration zone at a temperature in the range of 2000° to 2400° F. and under the reducing conditions arising from said excess combustible material content, to produce a heated oxygen-depleted gaseous effluent stream; converting at least a portion of the heat in said oxygen-depleted stream into steam, thereby cooling said stream; adding air to said cooled oxygen-depleted stream to produce a stoichiometric excess of oxygen in the resultant stream relative to combustible material present in said resultant stream and passing said resultant stream over an oxidizing catalyst to produce an oxidized gaseous stream; removing heat from said oxidized stream, and venting the resultant cooled stream of low NO x content.