Thermodynamic and experimental study of high-temperature roasting of blast furnace gas ash for recovery of metallic zinc and iron

A high-temperature reduction roasting method was used to achieve metallic iron and zinc recovery from blast furnace gas ash(BFA).The reduction processes for Zn-containing and Fe-containing oxides were analyzed in detail by using ther-modynamic equilibrium calculation and the principle of minimum free energy.The results showed that the main reaction in the system is the reduction of ZnFe_(2)_(4)and iron oxides.Over the full temperature range,iron oxides were more easily reduced than zinc oxides.Regardless of the amount of CO contained in the system,the reduction of ZnO to Zn was difficult to proceed below the boiling point(906℃)of Zn.When the reduction temperature is below 906℃,the reduction process of zinc ferrate was ZnFe_(2)_(4)→ZnO;when the reduction temperature is above 906℃,its reduction process becomed ZnFe_(2)_(4)→ZnO→Zn(g).The metallization and dezincification rates of the BFA gradually increased with increasing reaction temperature.As the C/O ratio increased,the metallization and dezincification rates first increased and then decreased.The effect of reduction time on BFA reduction was similar to that of reaction temperature.

Mercury removal from coal combustion flue gas by modified fly ash

Fly ash is a potential alternative to activated carbon for mercury adsorption. The effects of physicochemical properties on the mercury adsorption performance of three fly ash samples were investigated. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and other methods were used to characterize the samples. Results indicate that mercury adsorption on fly ash is primarily physisorption and chemisorption. High specific surface areas and small pore diameters are beneficial to efficient mercury removal. Incompletely burned carbon is also an important factor for the improvement of mercury removal efficiency, in particular. The C-M bond, which is formed by the reaction of C and Ti, Si and other elements, may improve mercury oxidation. The samples modified with CuBr2 , CuCl 2 and FeCl3 showed excellent performance for Hg removal, because the chlorine in metal chlorides acts as an oxidant that promotes the conversion of elemental mercury （Hg0） into its oxidized form （Hg2＋）. Cu2＋ and Fe3＋ can also promote Hg 0 oxidation as catalysts. HCl and O2 promote the adsorption of Hg by modified fly ash, whereas SO2 inhibits the Hg adsorption because of competitive adsorption for active sites. Fly ash samples modified with CuBr2 , CuCl2 and FeCl3 are therefore promising materials for controlling mercury emissions.

Gas-phase and particle-phase PCDD/F congener distributions in the flue gas from an iron ore sintering plant

The activated carbon injection-circulating fluidized bed（ACI-CFB）-bag filter coupling technique was studied in an iron ore sintering plant. For comparison, the removal efficiencies under the conditions without or with ACI technology were both evaluated. It was found that the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofuran（PCDD/F） removal efficiency for total international toxic equivalence quantity（I-TEQ） concentration was improved from 91.61% to 97.36% when ACI was employed, revealing that ACI was very conducive to further controlling the PCDD/F emissions. Detailed congener distributions of PCDD/Fs in the gas-phase and particle-phase of the Inlet and Outlet samples were determined. Additionally, the PCDD/F distribution for the Fly ash-with ACI sample of was also studied.

Phytotoxicity and groundwater impacts of leaching from thermal treatment residues in roadways

The use of coal fly ash（CFA）, municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash（MSWIBA） and flue gas desulfurization residue（FGDR） in road construction has become very common owing to its economical advantages. However, these residues may contain toxic constituents that pose an environmental risk if they leach out and flow through the soil, surface water and groundwater.Therefore, it is necessary to assess the ecotoxicity and groundwater impact of these residues before decisions can be made regarding their utilization for road construction. In this study,the physico-chemical characteristics, leaching and phytotoxicity of these residues were investigated. Specifically, multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the contributions of the leaching constituents of the CFA, MSWIBA and FGDR leachates to the germination index of wheat seeds. B, Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe and Pb were found to be more toxic to the wheat seeds than the other heavy metals. Furthermore, the leached concentrations of the constituents from the CFA, MSWIBA and FGDR were below the regulatory threshold limits of the Chinese identification standard for hazardous wastes. Analyses conducted using a numerical groundwater model（Wisc LEACH） indicated that the predicted field concentrations of metals from the CFA, MSWIBA and FGDR increased with time up to about 30 years at the point of compliance, then decreased with time and distance. Overall, this study demonstrated that the risks resulting from MSWIBA, CFA and FGDR leaching could be assessed before its utilization for road construction, providing crucial information for the adoption of these alternative materials.