Fuel gas from incineration process

A process for combusting hazardous waste materials to produce a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas from which substantially all of the contaminants are removed which comprises:

• (a) feeding a combustible waste material into a combustion zone where it is reacted with oxygen, steam and recycled gas at a temperature of from about 1400.degree. F. to about 2500.degree. F. at substoichiometric conditions with respect to oxygen, thereby partially burning said waste material and producing a gaseous mixture which consists essentially of carbon monoxide and hydrogen;
• (b) passing the resulting gaseous mixture from said combustion zone to a separation zone where particulate matter is removed;
• (c) passing the gaseous mixture from the separation zone to a heat recovery zone where the temperature of the gaseous mixture is lowered to 900.degree. F. to 1600.degree. F. and process steam is generated;
• (d) passing the cooled gaseous mixture from the heat recovery zone to a cooling zone where it is cooled by 300.degree. F. to 600.degree. F.;
• (e) passing the gaseous mixture from said cooling zone to a separation zone where particulate matter is removed;
• (f) cooling, compressing, and recycling a portion of the so treated gaseous mixture to said combustion zone;
• (g) passing the remaining portion of said gaseous mixture to a wet gas scrubbing zone containing an aqueous solution or slurry wherein acid gases and other contaminants are removed;
• and
• (h) collecting the so treated gaseous mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen for sale, or for the production of chemicals, or for hydrogenation operations.