The present work focuses on investigation of the effective recovery of heavy metals from molten fl y ash by applying chloride-induced volatilization. In particular, the effect of unburned carbon on the chloride-induced volatilization of lead, zinc, and copper from model and real molten fl y ashes was investigated in the temperature range 873-1173 K under a N 2 atmosphere. As a result, almost 100% of lead and a signifi cant proportion of zinc were volatilized from the real molten fl y ash samples at 1173 K. In contrast, for the model fl y ash, volatilization ratios of lead and zinc at 1173 K were only 85% and 25%, respectively. Further, the results of X-ray diffraction analysis suggested that PbO in molten fl y ash was converted either to Pb 2 OCl 2 or Pb by respective chlorination and reduction reactions. Meanwhile ZnO and CuO in the molten fl y ash were reduced to Zn and Cu by reaction with unburned carbon. Subsequently, Pb, Zn, and Pb 2 OCl 2 were volatilized, but Cu remained in the solid residue. Finally, the volatilization ratio of zinc increased with the addition of carbon, and more than 98% of zinc was volatilized at 1173 K from a fl y ash with a carbon content of 20%.