Process for reducing nitrogen oxide emissions

1. A non-catalytic process for reducing nitrogen oxide (NO x ) emissions in the combustion effluent of a stationary combustion apparatus comprising contacting, in the combustion zone of said combustion apparatus, an effective amount of at least one nitrile compound with a substantially undivided waste stream, an auxiliary fuel stream, and air at a temperature sufficient to reduce the NO x emissions in said combustion effluent.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said nitrile is selected from the group consisting of nitriles represented by the formula R-CN, wherein R is selected from hydrogen, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, and an aromatic hydrocarbon group.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein said nitrile is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen cyanide, acetonitrile, acrylonitrile, propionitrile, butyronitrile, succinonitrile, fumaronitrile, crotonitrile, benzonitrile, and mixtures thereof.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said stationary combustion apparatus is selected from the group consisting of an incinerator, a furnace, and a boiler.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein said stationary combustion apparatus is an incinerator.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein said nitrile is added to said combustion apparatus as a separate liquid feed stream.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein said nitrile is hydrogen cyanide.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein said nitrile is added to said combustion apparatus as a separate vapor feed stream.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein said nitrile is selected from the group consisting of acetonitrile, acrylonitrile, propionitrile, and mixtures thereof.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein said waste stream is the absorber off gas (AOG) produced in an acrylonitrile production process.

11. The process of claim 10 wherein said nitrile is added to said absorber off-gas prior to adding said absorber off-gas to said combustion apparatus.

12. The process of claim 10 wherein said nitrile is present in the absorber off-gas produced in an acrylonitrile production process.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein the amount of said nitrile compound is about 20 to about 10,000 ppm greater than the nitrile normally present in said waste stream.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature in the oxidation zone of said combustion apparatus is about 1400° F. (760° C.) to about 1750° F. (954° C.).

15. The process of claim 14 wherein the temperature in the oxidation zone of said combustion apparatus is about 1480° F. (804° C.) to about 1630° F. (888° C.).

16. The process of claim 1 wherein the volume % oxygen in said combustion effluent is about 0.5% to about 12%.

17. The process of claim 1 wherein said waste stream comprises at least one organic compound.

18. A non-catalytic process for reducing nitrogen oxide (NO x ) emissions in the combustion effluent of an incinerator comprising contacting, in the combustion zone of said incinerator, an effective amount of at least one nitrile compound selected from the group consisting of hydrogen cyanide, acetonitrile, acrylonitrile, propionitrile, butyronitrile, succinonitrile, fumaronitrile, crotonitrile, benzonitrile, and mixtures thereof with a substantially undivided stream of absorber off-gas (AOG) produced in an acrylonitrile production process, an auxiliary fuel stream, and air at a temperature in the oxidation zone of said incinerator of about 1400° F. (760° C.) to about 1750° F. (954° C.) to reduce the NO x emissions in said combustion effluent.

19. The process of claim 18 wherein said nitrile is added to said incinerator as a separate liquid feed stream.

20. The process of claim 18 wherein said nitrile is present in the absorber off-gas produced in an acrylonitrile production process.

21. The process of claim 18 wherein the amount of said nitrile compound is about 20 to about 10,000 ppm greater than the nitrile normally present in said waste stream.

22. The process of claim 18 wherein the volume % oxygen in said combustion effluent is about 0.5% to about 12%.

23. The process of claim 18 wherein the volume % oxygen in said combustion effluent is about 2% to about 4%.

24. The process of claim 18 wherein the temperature in the oxidation zone of said incinerator is about 1480° F. (804° C.) to about 1630° F. (888° C.).