Synthesis of zeolites using fly ash and their application in removing heavy metals from waters

Fly ash is the solid waste of thermal power plants where coal is used as fuel, and its management and utilization have been of environmental concern for decades. Since the technique of synthesizing zeolite from coal fly ash was introduced by Holler[1] (19…     

Utilization of sodium waterglass from sugar cane bagasse ash as a new alternative hardener for producing metakaolin-based geopolymer cement

Sugar cane bagasse ash from SOSUCAM company in Cameroon was used to synthesize sodium waterglass as a new alternative hardener. The new hardener was used to prepare metakaolin-based geopolymer cements. The compressive strength of the resulting geopolymer cement cured at room temperature for 28 days was 32.9 MPa. Samples soaked for 28 days in water in parallel experiments revealed a strength of 31.4 MPa. This shows that exposure of water does not lead to any weakening. The value of water absorption was 7.1% in the water-soaked cements, indicating the presence of fewer pores and voids than in the dry cements. However, in SEM micrographs, the microstructure of geopolymer cement appears rather homogeneous and compact without any change by water soaking. It can thus be concluded that sodium waterglass from sugar cane bagasse ash can be used as an alternative hardener or reactive ingredient for producing geopolymer cement with a high degree of cross-linking geopolymer framework. The use of this low-value silica-rich waste for producing sodium waterglass results in environmental benefits including a significant reduction of CO₂ emission and energy consumption compared to the production of commercial sodium waterglass.     

Characteristics of phosphate adsorption onto granulated coal ash in seawater

The deterioration of sediments is a serious environmental problem. Controlling nutrient release fluxes from sediments is important to alleviating eutrophication and to reducing terrigenous nutrient loads. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the phosphate removal performance of granulated coal ash (GCA) from seawater, which is produced from coal thermal electric power generation. Batch experiments were carried out to investigate the removal kinetics of phosphate from seawater under both oxic and anoxic conditions. Phosphate was removed well from seawater under both oxic and anoxic conditions. The adsorption isotherm for phosphate revealed that GCA could remove phosphate effectively from seawater above a concentration of 1.7 μmol L⁻¹. GCA can reduce the concentration of phosphate in seawater effectively under anoxic conditions where iron type adsorbents cannot be applied. Therefore, GCA could potentially be used to adsorb phosphate in the organically-enriched sediment, which generally occurs under highly reductive conditions.     

Liquefaction behaviour of loose and compacted pond ash

Most of the ash produced all over the world is primarily disposed off by wet disposal method onto the ash ponds, which are occupying huge valuable lands. This disposal problem can be minimized by utilizing ash in large geotechnical earthworks. However, its use in earthquake prone areas requires thorough understanding of its liquefaction resistance and nature of development of excess pore pressures under dynamic loading conditions. Investigations have been carried out in this paper on the liquefaction behaviour of pond ash by conducting cyclic triaxial tests on inflow and outflow ash samples collected from two different ash ponds. Distinctly different liquefaction phenomenon was observed for the ash samples from inflow and outflow points of the same ash pond. Inflow samples exhibited higher cyclic resistance than outflow samples and their strengths were comparable with the natural sands. Further studies revealed that the influence of various factors on liquefaction susceptibility of both the types of ashes is similar to that of natural sands.     

Discriminating the long distance dispersal of fine ash from sustained columns or near ground ash clouds: The example of the Pomici di Avellino eruption (Somma-Vesuvius,Italy)

Ash samples from tephra layers correlated with the Pomici di Avellino (Avellino Pumice) eruption of Somma-Vesuvius were collected in distal archives and their composition and particle morphology investigated in order to infer their behaviour of transportation and deposition. Differences in composition and particle morphologies were recognised for ash particles belonging to the magmatic Plinian and final phreatomagmatic phases of the eruption. The ash particles were dispersed in opposite directions during the two different phases of the eruption, and these directions are also different from that of coarse-grained fallout deposits. In particular, ash generated during magmatic phase and injected in the atmosphere to form a sustained column shows a prevailing SE dispersion, while ash particles generated during the final phreatomagmatic phase and carried by pyroclastic density currents show a general NW dispersion. These opposite dispersions indicate an ash dispersal influenced by both high and low atmosphere dynamics. In particular, the magmatic ash dispersal was first driven by stratospheric wind towards NE and then the falling particles encountered a variable wind field during their settling, which produced the observed preferential SE dispersal. The wind field encountered by the rising ash clouds that accompanied the pyroclastic density currents of the final phreatomagmatic phase was different with respect to that encountered by the magmatic ash, and produced a NW dispersal. These data demonstrate how ash transportation and deposition are greatly influenced by both high and low atmosphere dynamics. In particular, fine-grained particles transported in ash clouds of small-scale pyroclastic density currents may be dispersed over distances and cover areas comparable with those injected into the stratosphere by Plinian, sustained columns. This is a point not completely addressed by present day mitigation plans in case of renewal of activity at Somma-Vesuvius, and can yield important information also for other volcanoes potentially characterised by explosive activity.     

稻壳灰加筋土力学性能研究

稻壳灰与土体混合应用,一方面废弃资源再利用,环保,又可增强土体强度。通过三轴试验,研究不同比例稻壳灰混合黏土及其加筋土应力-应变性能、强度特性以及不同应变水平下模量、偏应力及加筋强度比等土体变化特征。试验结果表明,随稻壳灰比例增加,混合土最大干密度显著减小,最优含水率显著增加。添加不同比例稻壳灰对加筋土抗剪强度有较大影响,10%～15%稻壳灰比例下,加筋稻壳灰混合土初始切线模量和应力峰值达到最大,抗剪强度较优。与土工织物加筋稻壳灰混合土相比,土工格栅加筋稻壳灰混合土偏应力及抗剪强度更大,土工格栅层数对土体抗剪强度增大效果更明显,对应的应力-应变曲线拐点也更突出。试样弹性模量与稻壳灰比例及筋材种类、层数有关,加入稻壳灰后,土体弹性模量增长显著,土工格栅加筋稻壳灰混合土较优比例下可增加1.5倍多,稻壳灰及筋材均能有效提高土体强度。随加筋层数增加,稻壳灰混合土加筋强度比明显增大,与围压关系较小。     

武汉东湖淤泥碳化-固化试验研究

引入活性MgO-粉煤灰固化材料,采用碳化-固化联合技术处理武汉东湖疏浚淤泥,通过无侧限抗压强度、扫描电镜和压汞试验,研究加压碳化模式、碳化时间、MgO-粉煤灰配比和固化剂掺量等因素下CO2碳化作用对固化淤泥力学性质和微观结构的影响。结果表明：活性MgO-粉煤灰固化淤泥碳化后抗压强度进一步增长,应力-应变关系曲线压密阶段应变缩小;不同固化剂配比的东湖淤泥试样具有不同的最佳加压模式,而加压模式决定了相同碳化时间下固化淤泥CO2吸入量,从而影响碳化-固化淤泥试样抗压强度;活性MgO掺量低时试样抗压强度整体较低,强度随碳化时间增加先增大后减小;MgO掺量较高时,碳化试样强度随碳化时间快速达到较高值,随后增长缓慢。微观分析表明：水碳镁石、球碳镁石和碳酸镁石等镁碳酸盐是碳化-固化联合技术增强淤泥强度的主要原因,其膨胀性和胶结作用促使土体中团粒内孔隙向颗粒间孔隙转化,土体更密实,抗压强度增加。     

从高铝粉煤灰中提取非晶态SiO2的实验研究

为了有效提高高铝粉煤灰的Al/Si比,为提取氧化铝奠定基础,研究了用NaOH从高铝粉煤灰中提取非晶态SiO2的最佳工艺条件,并对提硅反应的机理进行了探讨。首先根据高铝粉煤灰的化学与物相组成特点,确立了利用NaOH提取非晶态SiO2的基本技术路线;然后用正交实验法确定了提硅的最佳条件:NaOH的浓度25%,灰碱质量比1∶0.5,反应温度95℃,反应时间4 h。经最佳条件反应之后,SiO2的提取率达到了41.8%,灰中Al2O3的含量由48.5%增加到了57.38%,Al2O3/SiO2质量比由1.29提高到了2.39。     

煤及其燃烧产物飞灰和底灰中稀土元素地球化学特征及集散规律

采用ICP—MS法测试了褐煤、肥煤和无烟煤以及在不同燃烧条件下获取的飞灰、底灰等29个样品的稀土元素含量;分析了稀土元素地球化学特征。结果表明,不同煤种的稀土元素含量不同,相同煤种在不同燃烧条件下获取的飞灰、底灰中的稀土元素含量也不同;褐煤、肥煤、无烟煤及其燃煤产物飞灰、底灰的稀土元素分布模式呈左高右低的宽缓的“V”型曲线;Eu存在明显负异常。研究了燃煤过程中稀土元素的分布及集散规律,稀土元素在飞灰、底灰中的含量比原煤有明显提高,其增加幅度为几倍至20多倍不等,表明煤炭燃烧后稀土元素在飞灰、底灰中进一步聚集;飞灰和底灰中稀土元素含量、飞灰和底灰对煤的稀土元素含量比和富集因子以及飞灰对底灰的稀土元素含量比和富集因子等,不仅与原煤中稀土元素有直接关系,而且还受锅炉燃烧方式、燃烧温度(炉温)等人为因素的影响。     

粉煤灰-粉质粘土对氟离子的吸附作用

不同土层对氟离子的吸附能力不同,在吸附能力较弱的土层建设贮灰场,会导致周边地下水中氟离子质量浓度较高,污染地下水。吉林市来发屯灰场运行多年来,地下水中氟离子质量浓度与背景环境未见明显差异,本文通过对来发屯灰场粉煤灰-粉质粘土和灰场外土层的比较分析,探究吸附机理,结果表明：粉煤灰-粉质粘土对氟离子有较强的吸附能力,能有效防止其对地下水的污染。