Municipal Solid Waste Incineration in Oxygen-enriched Environments: A Review of Pollutant Emissions and NOx Formation

Abstract

The growth of municipal solid waste volumes requires the implementation of thermal processing technologies that reduce nitrogen oxide emissions while maintaining combustion efficiency. This paper presents a review of studies (2018-2025) devoted to the mechanisms of nitrogen oxide formation during oxygen enrichment and the use of nitrogen-free oxidizing environments. It is shown that replacing nitrogen with carbon dioxide in the gas phase of the oxidizer significantly suppresses the thermal pathway of NOx formation, and also reduces the contribution of fuel and prompt mechanisms by reducing peak temperatures and forming a reducing environment. Examples of oxygen concentration optimization, co-combustion with nitrogen containing additives, and integration with carbon dioxide capture technologies are considered.