Strategic elements in the Fort Cooper Coal Measures: potential rare earth elements and other multi-product targets

Abstract

Mineral matter in coals has been found to host valuable elements including germanium, lithium and rare-earth elements (REE), but such content of Australian coals remains under-explored. The aim of this paper is to provide a proof-of-concept study that determines elemental concentrations in the mineral matter of the high-ash, Fort Cooper Coal Measures (FCCM), Bowen Basin, Queensland. Coal in the FCCM has good coking properties but has not been extensively explored owing to its high ash content. This study performs a preliminary assessment of the elements from the coal portion that would typically become waste after washing or combustion. Given that the needs for industrial extraction methods will change over time, cataloguing and documenting the elemental composition of coal may assist future development of multiple products for the benefit of both the coal and mineral industries. This preliminary study has revealed similar elevations of REE and higher-than-average crustal concentrations of lithium, bismuth and scandium in some of the samples. Further analyses will be required on a larger dataset to better understand elemental associations and explore spatial patterns of elemental content that may indicate localised enrichments. Understanding the potential of valuable elements in the FCCM may stimulate interest in multiple-product-coal (or elemental-coal) mining in this under-exploited resource and further encourage the reduction of waste from other Australian coals at the wash-plant stage.     

Pseudo-fractal interpolation for risk analysis

This paper describes a new method of analyzing the risk incurred when the outcome of a decision depends on interpolated values, for example, on the flow through an aquifer sparsely sampled for permeability or on the ratio of waste to ore in a mineral deposit sparsely sampled for grade. The method uses large families of interpolations constructed between sample values using adaptations of the well-known midpoint displacement method for generating pseudo-fractional Brownian motion trajectories. The parameters defining each family are chosen interactively by specialists to incorporate their expert knowledge. Each family, or ensemble, then defines a population of values for any global characteristic (functional) such as flow rate or waste ratio. The probabilities of various outcomes are estimated by counting them and calculating their ratios. For example, if 900 out of 1000 are acceptable the chance of success is estimated to be 90%.     

Biomass and estimated productivity of the benthic macrofauna in the New York Bight: A stressed coastal area

Waste disposal in the apex of the New York Bight has resulted in the contamination of sediments by toxic chemicals and some alteration to the community composition of the benthic macrofauna. The significance of these alterations to other communities in the area, e.g. its fishery resources, has not been clearly demonstrated. This paper presents data on an extensive survey of the macrofauna biomass, that many fish and lobster feed on, in the waste disposal impacted areas of the apex, using samples from both 1973 and 1980–1982. Variable mean production to biomass (P:B) ratios were used to estimate secondary production from the biomass of each major taxon. The macrofaunal biomass (wet wt.) of most of the apex area impacted by waste disposal was relatively high, with a mean biomass of 127 g m^?2 for 1973 and 344 g m^?2 for 1980–1982. Estimated secondary production was also high, being 201 Kcal m^?2 year^?1 in 1973 and 383 Kcal m^?2 year^?1 in 1980–1982. These values suggest there has been no inhibition of at least biomass, as the values were similar to or greater than values found in other areas of the Bight with similar bathymetric characteristics.     

High-level waste disposal,ethics and thermodynamics

Moral philosophy applied to nuclear waste disposal can be linked to paradigmatic science. Simple thermodynamic principles tell us something about rightness or wrongness of our action. Ethical judgement can be orientated towards the chemical compatibility between waste container and geological repository. A container-repository system as close as possible to thermodynamic equilibrium is ethically acceptable. It aims at unlimited stability, similar to the stability of natural metal deposits within the Earth’s crust. The practicability of the guideline can be demonstrated.     

城市固体废弃物本构模型的研究现状及展望

城市固体废弃物(MSW)是由多种无机和有机成分组成的复合材料,具有高压缩性和可降解性。随着时间的变化,基本的物理力学特性发生变化,与传统土体相比,性质差异较大。城市固体废弃物的本构模型对于垃圾填埋场中土工问题的研究极其重要,考虑不同因素的影响,系统总结了国内外一些学者对MSW本构模型的研究现状,指出已有的研究成果主要考虑了荷载引起的瞬时变形、机械蠕变、生物降解、纤维物质的加筋作用等,但这些都是考虑单个因素或者将几个因素简单叠加的本构模型,并未考虑不同因素的耦合作用。结合土体本构模型的发展特点,指出了今后城市固体废弃物本构模型的研究方向和发展趋势：应当综合考虑各种因素对MSW应力-应变关系的影响,从工程实践出发,通过岩土工程、环境工程、化学工程和生物工程等学科的交叉寻求突破,形成考虑生化反应-骨架变形-水气运移-溶质迁移耦合作用的理论框架。     

Polymetallic Nodule Mining, Waste Disposal, and Species Extinction at the Abyssal Seafloor

The size of individual mining blocks for polymetallic nodule extraction seems to be rather small, not more than 100 km² in the French mining claim. Even when adding an additional resedimentation zone to the directly impacted area, the size of the affected seabed would remain below 200 km². We assume that even rare species in the abyss inhabit larger areas and propose discussions of the International Seabed Authority and other stakeholders for the different subregions on mining strategies from the perspective of exploitation versus species extinction and conservation. Although impacts of waste disposal at the abyssal seafloor are different from those of nodule mining, the 200 km² concept may also be applied.     

超声改性对不同粘土去除藻华生物效率的影响

粘土表面改性方法是提高改性粘土絮凝有害藻华效率的关键。本文研究了超声改性法对粘土去除藻华生物效率的影响,对比分析了粘土颗粒在改性前后的粒度分布、扫描电镜图像以及表面电位等理化特征变化,进而初步探讨了超声改性的作用机制。结果显示,超声改性处理可以有效提高本研究中所试验五种粘土去除藻华生物能力。超声改性导致粘土颗粒粒径进一步减小,且超声时间越长,颗粒粒径越小;超声处理后的粘土粒度分布集中、颗粒均匀,延长超声处理时间可以有效提高增效效果。同时发现,超声改性后粘土颗粒的表面电位负电性变弱,降低了粘土颗粒与表面负电性藻细胞之间的静电斥力,从而提高了粘土对藻华生物藻细胞的絮凝去除能力。本研究探索了提高粘土去除藻华生物效率的新方法,为进一步增强改性粘土去除能力提供了参考。     

利用不同浓度啤酒废水培养塔胞藻的生物学效应研究

本文主要探讨了以不同浓度的啤酒废水培养海洋微藻(塔胞藻)后的生物学效应,其目的是为合理开发利用啤酒废水,避免环境污染及海洋微藻的产业化提供必要的理论依据。方法:以不同浓度(0、10%、20%、30%、40%、50%、60%)的啤酒废水替代海水配制培养基,培养海洋微藻,当培养液内细胞数达到一定密度后,再转到新的培养基中,即为下一轮;这样连续培养了4轮。结果发现,在前3轮培养中,当培养基中啤酒废水浓度在50%以下时,随着啤酒废水浓度升高,藻细胞的生长繁殖明显加快,细胞体积增大,细胞内多种重要成分(如蛋白质、可溶性糖、叶绿素等)含量均显著提高;当啤酒废水浓度超过50%时,上述效应有所下降。但培养至第4轮时,各种生理指标逐渐恢复到原来的状态。     

中国工业废气排放的空间特征及其影响因素研究

基于2000~2012年中国31个省（市、自治区）面板数据,运用探索性空间数据分析方法对中国工业废气排放的空间分布特征进行研究,结果显示中国各省域（不含港澳台）工业废气排放存在显著的空间自相关和空间集聚效应;总体呈现东部、西部地区集聚的空间分布特征,其中东部多为高-高集聚区、西部则多为低-低集聚区,并且高值集聚现象的显著性逐渐增强,显著区域呈持续扩张趋势。在此基础上,以STIRPAT模型为基础构建空间计量模型,分析经济发展、人口规模、产业结构、技术水平和国家政策等因素对工业废气排放量的影响。研究结果表明,中国各省域工业废气排放存在空间依赖作用和正的空间溢出效应;经济发展、产业结构与工业废气排放之间呈现显著的正相关关系;技术进步和国家政策对工业废气排放具有抑制作用,而人口增长对工业废气排放的影响并不显著。     

废轮胎多孔隙消波结构物特性之初期研究

基于废旧轮胎再利用及研发简易且低廉的施工方法与维护成本,本研究以规则波水工模型试验研究提出应用于港口码头的多孔隙弹性帷幕的初步理念。利用模型车轮胎以模块化方式组装成弹性帷幕后安装于码头前壁,研究多种周期波浪作用及不同消波室纵深对波浪反射率的影响。实验结果表明,简单的单一消波室多孔隙弹性帷幕对短周期波浪的消波效果较显著,消波室纵深较大者反射率较低,但可能引致水体振荡,后续可再强化消波室的消能效果。未来如能妥善研究废旧轮胎应用于多孔隙弹性帷幕消波结构物的施工与维修方法,除可缓解废旧轮胎处理给环境带来的压力外,也提供一种可用于简易渔港的施工简单、维修容易且资源再利用的消能结构物,该工程技术亦可输出至发展中国家,符合可持续发展观。