Thermal analytical techniques for studying formation of dioxins: Development and implementation on fundamental an applied research

Abstract

Aiming to contribute to a better understanding of dioxin formation mechanisms, their precur­ sor and surrogate compounds, this thesis is particularly focused on development of the novel methods to apply in dioxin research. The methods available at the moment are rather limited, too complicated, laborious and expensive procedures, not amenable to on-line measurements or to rapid detection of dioxin formation. The information obtained with these methods is apparently not sufficient to resolve all numerous questions associated with diox­ ins. Thus investing in development of innovative analytical strategies is especially rewarded as providing the valuable means for current and future dioxin research. The thesis consists of the two notional parts:development and optimization of thermal analytical procedures, illustration of their implementation and use in fundamental and applied dioxin re- search.In-depth literature study on dioxin research is summarized in Chapter 1, indicating a number of aspects requiring investigation. These anticipate the need for reliable dedicated data on dioxin formation particularly on fly ashes from metallurgical processes, required for the abatement of the releases of these compounds in the environment. The primal objectives are, therefore, on development of methods for obtaining reliable data, or more specifically on:Combining readily-available thermal analytical instruments with sensitive detection methods in order to develop simple, rapid and reliable hyphenated techniques with on­ line or off-line simultaneous analysis of the variety of volatile and semi-volatile com­ pounds - dioxin surrogates and precursors. Optimizing well-established thermal techniques for studying low-temperature carbon gasification as a part of de novo dioxin synthesis on fly ash matrix. Other specific focuses of this work are related to the applications of the developed tech­ niques:) Testing solid residues (fly ashes), particularly deriving from metallurgical sector. The latter has been recently appointed as the main source of dioxins in Europe, but re­ mained largely unaddressed during the former decades of dioxin research. ) Analysing a variety of oxygenated, chlorinated, sulphur- and nitrogen-containing com­ pounds in addition to well-known dioxin surrogates and precursors. The selection of samples and target analytes is in detail explained in Chapter 2.