Removal of COD in Wastewater By Magnetic Coagulant Prepared From Modified Fly Ash

In order to investigate the effective method of COD removal from desulfurization wastewater, acid-modified fly ash (AFA) and base-modified fly ash (BFA) were prepared by impregnation method. Then, magnetic coagulants (Fe-AFA, Fe-BFA) were prepared by mixing the modified fly ash with magnetic components. The structural characterization results showed that the specific surface area and the porosity of fly ash were obviously increased after modification. Fe-AFA magnetic coagulant has the best performance and superparamagnetism. Under the same experimental conditions, the maximum COD removal amounts of FA, BFA, AFA, Fe-BFA and Fe-AFA were 2.180, 3.209, 4.631, 3.710 and 5.687 mg/g, respectively. The COD removal amount of Fe-AFA was increased by 112.43% compared with the raw FA. The quasi-second-order kinetic and Langmuir equation could well fit the COD coagulation process of five coagulants. After five cycles, the COD removal amount of Fe-AFA was 2.735 mg/g, and the removal rate still reached 67.53%. These findings provide a feasible method for the treatment of fly ash from coal-fired power plants and the preparation of highly efficient COD trapping magnetic coagulants.

Modified Fly Ash-Based Adsorbents (MFA) for Mercury and Carbon Dioxide Removal from Coal-Fired Flue Gases

One of the solid waste produced during the combustion of coal are fly ashes. Disposal challenges and environmental consequences are the results of significant process yield and atmospheric emission of fly ashes. The exact chemical composition of FA depends mainly on the type of utilised fuel and combustion conditions. It consists mainly of chemically stable metal oxides, such as Al2O3, Fe2O3, SiO2, CaO, MgO, K2O, Na2O and TiO2, but its toxicity is related to the possible presence of some trace elements, such as As, Hg, Cd, Se and Cr. The chemical and physical properties of fly ash (e.g., particle size distribution, porosity, and surface area) make it suitable as an adsorbent to remove various impurities from process flows such as flue gas stream. Its suitability for capturing mercury from flue gas was experimentally confirmed due to its abundant supply, particle size, bulk density, porosity, chemical composition and low cost. Hence, the use of fly ash as adsorbents and precursors for the production of heavy metal adsorbents is of great practical importance, as it reduces the cost of mercury capture and alleviates the problems associated with the disposal of solid waste. Studies showed that the chemical components present in fly ash additives could stimulate catalytic oxidative capacity, which increases the adsorption of Hg0 oxidation and adsorption of both Hg and CO2. The presented study analysed fly ashes from different zones of the electrostatic precipitator and verified their suitability for removing impurities from flue gases, i.e., mercury and carbon dioxide. The results outlined modified fly ash as having good Hg and CO2 removal capabilities. The adsorption efficiency of Hg reached 92% for Hg and 66% for CO2, while untreated fly ash reached 67% for Hg and 59% for CO2.

Mercury Removal From Coal Combustion Flue Gas by Pyrite-Modified Fly Ash Adsorbent

Pyrite and fly ash have certain advantages in adsorption and mercury oxidation. The pyrite-modified fly ash (PY+AC-FA) mercury adsorbent was prepared by mixing pyrite (PY) with acid-modified fly ash (AC-FA), which has better mercury removal effect than AC-FA. The experimental results of mercury adsorption show: when the reaction temperature is 50°C, the best doping proportion of modified fly ash is 20wt%, the mass proportion of pyrite to acid modified fly ash is 4:1, and the flue gas flow rate is 1.0L/min, the adsorbent has the best performance, and the adsorption rate of mercury reaches 91.92%. BET, XRD, SEM, TG-DSG and XRF were used to characterize these adsorbents. And the mechanism of mercury removal of pyrite-modified fly ash adsorbent is inferred: Hg0 is first adsorbed on the surface of the adsorbent, and then oxidized to HgS by the active component FeS2 in pyrite-modified fly ash.

Experimental Study on Consolidation-Creep Behavior of Subgrade Modified Soil in Seasonally Frozen Areas

Frost heaving and boiling are the most common road disorders due to the special climatic conditions in a seasonal frozen area. From the perspective of controlling road disorders in seasonally frozen areas and making effective use of industrial waste residue, two kinds of subgrade modified soil—crumb rubber modified fly ash soil (CRFS) and oil shale waste residue modified fly ash soil (OSFS)—were proposed by the research group. The research results proved that the two new subgrade fillers both have excellent engineering characteristics in cold areas, such as high strength and low thermal conductivity, and both have the function of waste utilization, giving them broad application prospects. In road engineering, the instability of slopes and retaining walls and the uneven settlement of the subgrade are closely related to soil creep, which are problems that cannot be ignored in road design and use. As a new material to treat road disorders in seasonally frozen areas, more attention should be paid to the continuous deformation property of modified soil under long-term load. The study on the creep characteristics of the modified soil can provide reliable parameters for the design of the modified soil subgrade and predict the settlement of the subgrade after construction, which is of great significance to the stability of the subgrade. In this paper, an experimental study on the consolidation–creep characteristics of two kinds of subgrade modified soil in a seasonal frozen region was carried out, the relationship between modified soil deformation and time is discussed, and the effects of different moisture contents and compaction degrees on the creep characteristics of modified soil were analyzed. The test results provide parameters for the engineering design of modified soil subgrade and provide data support for the popularization and application of modified soil in seasonally frozen subgrade.