TREATMENT OF LIQUID WASTE MATERIAL

Liquid waste material, particularly material containing sulphuric acid, may be combusted using an oxygen-rich material by a process in which: (i) a primary oxidant and fuel issuing from a burner are combusted in a furnace, the proportion of primary oxidant to fuel being such that there is insufficient oxygen to combust the fuel completely, (ii) introducing into the furnace the liquid waste material in atomised form around the burner, (iii) introducing into the furnace spaced from the burner a secondary oxidant which contains sufficient oxygen to combust completely the fuel not combusted by the primary oxidant the direction in which each of the primary oxidant, fuel and liquid waste material is introduced being such that the substances flow in substantially the same direction, the rate at which the primary oxidant, fuel, liquid waste material and secondary oxidant are introduced being such that a plug flow of substances through the furnace is created.