Separation of heavy metals from salts in multicomponent gas by a two-stage dust collection technique.

A Pb and Zn separation method from salts (Na, K, and Cl) in a simulated multicomponent gas generated by the incineration fly ash melting is studied. The heavy metals are separated using a two-stage dust collection technique. A standard reagents mixture is volatilized by heating in a lab-scale reactor to generate the simulated multicomponent gas. The volatilized salts in the gas are condensed and collected by a filter at a high temperature (600-800 °C), allowing Pb and Zn to pass through the filter as gaseous species. The gaseous heavy metals are condensed by lowering their temperature to 100 °C and collected. The metal separation is promoted by elevating the temperature used in the first-stage dust collection to 800 °C and maintaining a reductive atmosphere in the reactor. Subsequently, a sequential chemical extraction is performed on the obtained materials to evaluate the metals leaching characteristics from the materials. In the separated salts to be landfilled, a portion of toxic metals such as Pb, Cd, As, and Cr remain as water-soluble compounds. The separated Pb and Zn, to be extracted and recovered with precipitation for the metal enrichment, can be extracted using water, acid (pH 3), or CH₃COONH₄ solution (1M).