Thermal Destruction of Waste Insulating Oil Containing

This experimental study was performed to obtain thermal energy from the combustion of synthetic gas, produced by the pyrolysis of insulating oil containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in a high temperature and high pressure reactor. The average synthetic gas generated was 59.67 Am3/hr via the steady state gasification of insulating oil waste (20 kg/hr) with average concentrations (standard deviation) of CO2, CO, and H2 in the synthetic gas of 38.63 ± 3.11%, 35.18 ± 1.93%, and 28.42 ± 1.68%, respectively. The concentrations of the PCBs in the transformer insulating oil and synthetic gas after its gasification, and the concentrations of the dioxins that could be produced from the incomplete degradation of PCBs were measured. It was revealed that the PCBs in the insulating oil were composed of the series from tetrachlorobiphenyl to octachlorobiphenyl. However, only the #49, #44, #52, and #47/75/48 congeners were detected from the synthetic gas after gasification of the insulating oil and in the flue gas from the combustor. In conclusion, the experimental con-ditions suggested in this study were very useful for the appropriate treatment of insulating oil containing PCBs. Also, fuel gas containing CO and H2 can be obtained from the pyrolysis of insulating oil containing PCBs