Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of destroying hazardous organic waste material in solid, pasty, greasy or sludge form including the steps of maintaining a burning zone in a rotary kiln at a gas temperature of at least 1500° C., introducing the waste directly into the burning zone, simultaneously burning the waste together with cement, lime or lightweight aggregate in the kiln so as to form a gaseous combustion product and an environmentally acceptable clinker product, maintaining the gaseous combustion product at a temperature of at least 1200° C. for a period of at least two seconds, and removing the clinker product from the kiln.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of destroying hazardous organic waste material in solid, pasty, greasy or sludge form including the steps of maintaining a burning zone in a rotary kiln at a gas temperature of at least 1500° C., introducing the waste directly into the burning zone, simultaneously burning the waste together with cement, lime or lightweight aggregate in the kiln so as to form a gaseous combustion product and an environmentally acceptable clinker product, maintaining the gaseous combustion product at a temperature of at least 1200° C. for a period of at least two seconds, and removing the clinker product from the kiln.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 1, including the step of introducing the waste through at least one opening in the side of the kiln shell substantially adjacent to said burning zone.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to claim 1, including the step of introducing the waste ballistically through the firing end or the back end of the kiln with sufficient velocity as to cause the waste to be introduced directly to but not substantially beyond said burning zone.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 3, including the step of encapsulating the waste in canisters before introducing the waste into the burning zone.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein the canisters are in the form of steel drums.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method according to claim 1, including the steps of mixing the hazardous waste with a powder or granular material in order to improve the handling characteristics of the waste without substantially damaging the quality of the clinker product, and thereafter introducing the mixture of waste and powder or granular material into said burning zone.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein said powder or granular material is at least one of the materials selected from the group consisting of coal, coal dust, precipitator dust, raw meal and finished clinker product.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein said mixture is injected pneumatically in a continuous stream into said burning zone.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 8, wherein said mixture is injected through the firing end of the kiln.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
76 words
A method according to claim 1, including the steps of gasifying the waste in a gasifier prior to introducing the waste into the kiln, introducing the gasified waste into said burning zone, burning the gas in the burning zone of the rotary kiln and incorporating any ash from the gasifier in the rotary kiln product, either by introducing it through the normal feeding system of the kiln or pneumatically into the burning zone of the kiln.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
90 words
A method according to claim 1, including the steps of first passing steel drums containing the waste through a shredder so as to create a mixture of steel fragments and waste material, removing the steel fragments from the mixture by means of a separator, mixing the remaining hazardous waste with a powder or granular material in order to improve the handling characteristics of the waste without substantially damaging the quality of the clinker product, and thereafter introducing the mixture of waste and powder or granular material into said burning zone.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
82 words
A method according to claim 11, including the steps of treating the steel fragments from the separator with a detergent solution, transferring the treated fragments to an agitating device, adding granular or powder absorbent material to the agitating device and causing the absorbent material to clean the fragments by absorbing the detergent solution, separating the cleaned steel fragments from the absorbent material, and passing the solution-containing absorbent material to the kiln together with the mixture of waste and powder or granular material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said waste contains at least one hazardous material selected from the group consisting of PCB, dioxin, DDT and residue from the production of polyvinyl halogenides.