The pyrolytic-plasma method and the device for the utilization of hazardous waste containing organic compounds

•A first stage of the process of waste utilization consisted in pyrolysis of waste.•Then the pyrolytic gas was oxidized with a use of non-equilibrium plasma.•The device for the process implementation was built and characterized.•Correctness of the device operation was proven with a use of the decomposition of PE.•Usefulness of the method was proven in the process of utilization of EW. This paper is focused on the new method of waste processing. The waste, including hazardous waste, contain organic compounds. The method consists in two main processes: the pyrolysis of waste and the oxidation of the pyrolytic gas with a use of non-equilibrium plasma. The practical implementation of the method requires the design, construction and testing of the new device in large laboratory scale. The experiments were carried out for the two kinds of waste: polyethylene as a model waste and the electronic waste as a real waste. The process of polyethylene decomposition showed that the operation of the device is correct because 99.74% of carbon moles contained in the PE samples was detected in the gas after the process. Thus, the PE samples practically were pyrolyzed completely to hydrocarbons, which were completely oxidized in the plasma reactor. It turned out that the device is useful for decomposition of the electronic waste. The conditions in the plasma reactor during the oxidation process of the pyrolysis products did not promote the formation of PCDD/Fs despite the presence of the oxidizing conditions. An important parameter determining the efficiency of the oxidation of the pyrolysis products is gas temperature in the plasma reactor.