ABSTRACT
The proliferation of thermal oxidizers for treatment of waste streams containing volatile organic compounds is based on their ability to destroy rather than just capture the volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Thermal oxidation systems can achieve very high levels of VOC destruction when properly designed and operated. The parameters that define these optimum conditions have been historically described as the "three Ts of destruction": time, temperature, and turbulence. Residence time is another of the three Ts of destruction. However, it does not have the same impact as temperature on VOC destruction efficiency. Nonetheless, sufficient time must be allowed for the chemical kinetic reactions to occur. The concentration of oxygen molecules is another important component of thermal oxidation reactions. Oxygen is generally supplied by the addition of combustion air or, in the case of a VOC-contaminated air stream, may be present as part of the waste stream itself.
