flow also will have an effect on the length of the combustion wave the temperature of the combustion is dependent upon feed concentrations feed rates gas velocity distribution bed physical properties type of specific feed materials heat losses and other factors while the bypass fume flow is being oxidized in the afterburner 30 the nominal flow of hot exhaust continues to flow into the afterburner 30 as well donating additional heat to the destruction matrix 52 because the voc 39 s in the hot stream from the oxidizer 24 are already oxidized the afterburner 30 has little affect on this hot stream other than to remove some of its heat value according to the present invention the voc 39 s are also heated by heat generated by the reaction within the destruction matrix 52 itself further increasing the completeness of the reaction when the fume flow tails off to the nominal flow again the bypass shunt to the afterburner 30 is discontinued by closing control valve 34 and all flow is directed through the primary thermal oxidizer 24 again the hot exhaust 28 from the primary thermal oxidizer 24 then replenishes the heat storage of the afterburner 30 and the destruction matrix 52 it is also a possibility that the entire fume flow can be bypassed directly to the afterburner 30 for periods of time depending upon the process involved the control system would consist of the one or more thermocouples or other temperature.