Abstract
Mineralogical and geochemical techniques can be used successfully to characterize and evaluate bottom ashes produced in waste incineration. At the present time, it is not quite clear to what extent the mineral phase compositions and the content of main elements and heavy metal concentrations of bottom ashes are influenced by the conditions of combustion. Once the location of heavy metals in or with specific minerals is known, it may be considered, in the light of technical possibilities, whether a change in temperature or in the residence time of waste in the combustion chamber could be sufficient to remove these components from their mineral phases.