Abstract: Thermal treatment technologies have demonstrated significant advantages in stabilizing heavy metals and degrading organic pollutants such as dioxins in municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash, making them a mainstream approach for fly ash detoxification. This paper systematically reviews the principles, treatment efficacy, and limitations of sintering, melting/vitrification, thermal plasma technology, and hydrothermal treatment. Comprehensive analysis reveals that sintering technology, while mature and achieving pollutant removal rates of up to 90%, suffers from unstable heavy metal immobilization and high energy consumption. Melting/vitrification, which encapsulates pollutants into glass matrices via high temperatures, achieves dioxin degradation rates exceeding 99%, yet faces challenges such as substantial equipment investment and energy costs. Thermal plasma technology excels in rapid processing, high heavy metal/dioxin removal efficiency, and remarkable volume reduction (up to two-thirds), but its application is hindered by complex operational requirements, exorbitant energy demands, and high capital costs. Hydrothermal treatment, operating at relatively low temperatures, stabilizes heavy metals through mineral phase reconstruction but is constrained by prolonged reaction times and stringent equipment specifications. Furthermore, this study explores advancements in optimizing flux agent ratios, innovative heating methods (e.g., microwave-assisted and oxygen-enriched melting), and synergistic resource recovery (e.g., glass-ceramics and lightweight building materials) to enhance energy efficiency and processing efficacy. The analysis underscores that the core challenge of thermal treatment technologies lies in balancing energy consumption with economic feasibility. Future research should integrate multidisciplinary innovations to harmonize environmental benefits with economic viability, thereby advancing fly ash management toward detoxification, volume reduction, and high-value resource recovery.

Key words:  , municipal solid waste incineration fly ash, high temperature, heavy metals, thermal treatment