Lowering ash slagging and fouling tendency of high-alkali coal by hydrothermal pretreatment

High-alkali species in coal are notorious for causing ash slagging and fouling incidents.In this paper,four high-alkali coals were individually subject to hydrothermal pretreatment(HTP),within a batch-type autoclave at 300 -C for 1 h,and the treated coals were analyzed,along with the oxygen-containing functional groups determined by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer(FT-IR).Then the alkali species and other components in the coal ash were quantified by X-ray fluorescence(XRF)for evaluating the ash slagging and fouling tendency.Apart from this,FactSage was adopted to simulate the occurrence and transformation of alkali species during coal thermal conversion ending at various temperatures.The findings indicate that the treated coals are superior to the parent ones in terms of certain remarkable changes via HTP.The moisture,oxygen and sulfur of the hydrothermally treated coals decline obviously,while the calorific value rises sharply.HTP could reduce the alkali species to less than 2%(%,by weight,equivalent to Na2O in dry ash),with a maximum removal ratio of 88.9%,lowering the ash slagging and fouling tendency.The proposed mechanism of HTP was that the alkali species in coal matrix became released due to the breakage of the coal functional groups and micropores during HTP.

Effect of steam pretreatment on wood moisture content and characteristics of vacuum drying

The effects of high temperature steam pretreatment on the change in wood moisture content （MC） and characteristics of vacuum drying were investigated in this study. Poplar and manchurian walnut woods were pretreated with high temperature steam at 100~C and 140~C, prior to vacuum drying. A comparison of the characteristics of vacuum drying between steam pretreated wood and untreated wood was carried out. The results show that during steam pretreatment, the MC of wood decreased within a few hours. The reduction of MC varied with the temperature; the higher the temperature, the faster the MC dropped. During the vacuum drying stage, the rates of drying ofpretreated samples were higher than those of untreated samples when MC was below the fiber saturation point. Furthermore, the total drying time of samples treated at a steam temperature of 140~C was lower than that of untreated samples. Therefore, a vacuum procedure after steam pretreatment can effectively shorten the drying time when drying wood.

The Influence of Abrasive Pretreatment on Hot Air Drying of Grape

The drying of grapes is a more complex process compared to the dehydration of other agricultural materials due to the necessity of a pretreatment operation prior to drying. Grape drying to produce raisins is a very slow process, due to the peculiar structure of grape peel, that is covered by a waxy layer. Its removal has been so far carried out by using several chemical pre-treatments. However, they cause heterogeneity in the waxes removal and create microscopic cracks. In this paper an abrasive pretreatment for enhancing the drying rate and preserving the grape samples is proposed. Two cultivars of grape were investigated: Regina white grape and Red Globe red grape. The drying kinetics of untreated and treated samples were studied using a convective oven at 50°C. Fruit quality parameters such as sugar and organic acid contents, shrinkage, texture, peel damage (i.e. by SEM analysis) and rehydration capacity were studied to evaluate the effectiveness of abrasive pretreatment on raisins. Abrasive pretreatment contributed to reduce drying time and rehydration time. The treated and untreated dried grapes were significantly different (p < 0.05) in sugar and in tartaric acid content. On the contrary, no significant differences (p < 0.05) in malic and citric acids and in texture properties between untreated and treated samples were observed.

Effects of Chemical Osmotic Pretreatment on Drying Characteristics and Quality of Blueberry under Hot Air Drying

In order to study the effects of chemical osmotic pretreatment on the characteristics and quality of blueberry under hot air drying,fresh blueberries were pretreated with 2.5 g/100 mL K2CO3+0.6 g/100 mL olive oil,and 5.0 g/100 mL K2CO3+0.6 g/100 mL olive oil at(45±0.5)℃,respectively.The changes of water content,rehydration,hardness,microstructure,color difference,active ingredient anthocyanin,total phenol and DPPH radical scavenging capacity of dried blueberries in different treatment groups under hot air drying were compared and analyzed.The results showed that the dehydration rates of blueberries vary greatly according to the type of pretreatments when the samples were dried to the same water content with hot air.Specifically,the dehydration rate of dried blueberries pretreated by 5.0%K2CO3 solution was the highest,followed by 2.5%K2CO3 osmotic pretreatment and lastly the control group;the corresponding dehydration time was 10,14 and 20h,respectively.The physical qualities of dried blueberries,involving the browning degree,color difference,rehydration and microstructure,were significantly different between the chemical osmotic pretreatment group and the control group(P<0.05).The chemical osmotic pretreatment of K2CO3 solution increased the dehydration rate of the samples,shortened the drying time and maintained the quality of blueberries dried with hot air.There was no significant difference between the physical quality of dried blueberries pretreated by 2.5%and 5.0%K2CO3 solution(P>0.05),whereas there was significant difference in drying time and nutrient quality which is characterized by total phenols,anthocyanins,DPPH radical scavenging rate,soluble total sugar(P<0.05).Conclusion:5.0%K2CO3 osmotic pretreatment combining with hot air drying can improve the dehydration rate,shorten the drying time and maintain the physical and nutritional quality.

Optimization of Dry Ashing of Whole Blood Samples for Trace Metal Analysis

Dry ashing is an established method. Ashing whole blood samples are, however, often difficult to carry out with significant sample loss, and the procedure is not well documented. A new procedure has been devel- oped and optimized to dry-ash whole blood samples for trace metal analyses. The procedure reduces both the dry-ashing time by more than two thirds and sample loss. The ashed sample can be readily used in subse- quent, simultaneous or individual analysis of several metals by ICP-OES, as demonstrated in the analysis of a whole blood sample. The new procedure is simple, inexpensive, and faster than the established method.

Effect of Fly Ash on Drying Shrinkage of Thermal Insulation Mortar with Glazed Hollow Beads

Drying shrinkage of thermal insulation mortar with glazed hollow beads was measured by a vertical length comparator, and the influences of fly ash with different contents（0, 18%, 36%, and 54% were used） on the long-term drying shrinkage were discussed. The mass loss was measured by the weighting method and the pore structure was characterized using three different methods, including the light microscopy, the mercury intrusion porosimetry（MIP）, and the nitrogen adsorption/desorption（NAD） experiments, and the correlations among them were researched. The results show that drying shrinkage process of thermal insulation mortar includes three steps with increasing curing time： the acceleration period（before 7 d）, the deceleration period（7-365 d）, and the metastable period（after 365 d）. Drying shrinkage in the first stage（7 d before） increases quickly owing to the fast water loss, and its development in the last two stages is attributed to the increment of the pore volume of mortar with the radius below 50 nm, especially the increment of the pore volume fraction of the pore radius within the size range between 7.3 nm and 12.3 nm. There is no change in the drying shrinkage development trend of mortar with fly ash addition, and three steps in the service life, but fly ash addition in the mortar restrains its value. There is a linear relationship between the drying shrinkage and fly ash content, which means that drying shrinkage reduces with fly ash addition.

Application of Fly Ash and Organic Material as Dry Cover System in Prevention of Acid Mine Drainage Generation

The common practice in AMD prevention is a dry cover technique. In this technique, rock that is potential in producing acidity (PAF) will be placed below non-acid producing rock (NAF). Depends on NAF availability in the mine site situation, organic covers can be used to prevent diffusion of oxygen into reactive sulphide wastes and subsequently to eliminate sulphide compounds oxidation and generation of acidic waters. The utilization of additional material cover layer is proposed, by using fly ash and organic material combination. To investigate the possibility of using these materials, a column leaching test in the laboratory scale was conducted with several scenarios of simulation. By comparing between column with different thickness of fly ash and organic material, the leachate water behavior is observed in the experiment, including the measurement of water quality (pH and EC), major cations-anions. The result suggests the possible thickness of fly ash (FA) and organic material (OM) as cover layer material, especially in the case of mine with domination of PAF rock material.

Complex Processing of Pulverized Fly Ash by Dry Separation Methods

Pulverized fly ash (PFA) is produced about 500 billions tons every year in the world in a result of coals combustion. Most of the fly ash collected in power plants is disposed by deposition in landfills, situated as a rule near big cities with well developed infrastructure and high cost of land. Moreover, the pollution of environmental by fine solid wastes is inevitable and takes place in area of residing of a basic part of the population. The only solution is a complex processing of fine wastes with a production of value added materials. New conception of complex processing of PFA is proposed on the base of facilities of Electro-mass-classifier (EMC) and other techniques. The characterization of separated fractions was carried out by SEM and optic microscopy, XRD, laser diffraction, M?ssbauer spectroscopy and other methods. A fine fraction of glass microspheres presents the main interest as filler in various materials.

Research on physical and chemical properties and soundness of dry desulphurized fly ash used as a construction material

The physical and chemical properties and soundness of Baosteel Power Plant＇ s dry desulphurized fly ash were systematically investigated and compared with those of the similar byproducts produced by some other domestic power plants. The feasibility of these byproducts used as a construction material was also analyzed. The results show that Baosteel＇s dry desulphurized fly ash is a kind of ash with high calcium and high sulfur contents, which has the characteristics of volcanic ash activity. It contains sulfate and sulfite, and is easy to cause sulfate activation. It has higher activity compared with common fly ash. But higher calcium sulfite and free-CaO contents in ash will bring about soundness concerns to users. Therefore, quality tests and volume control will be necessary when fly ash is used as a construction material.

Nano⁃Silica Production by Rice Husk Combustion in a 0.7 MW Double⁃Circulating Fluidized Bed after Acid Pretreatment

Rice husk is an organic silicon source for amorphous nano⁃silica particles.This paper reports the experimental study on the industrial production of nano⁃silica by rice husk combustion in a specially⁃designed 0.7 MW double⁃circulating fluidized bed(DCFB)based on acid pretreatment process.The physicochemical properties of RHA were characterized by various testing instruments.Results showed that acid pretreatment removed a large amount of metal impurities in the rice husk and thus inhibited the formation of crystalline silica or the agglomeration during the fluidized bed combustion process.The combustion efficiencies were as high as 99.5%.The obtained RHA comprised white fine particles and exhibited an amorphous structure,but factors such as collection point and acid type had certain influences on the quality of RHA.The highest SiO2 purity was greater than 98.6 wt.%,the lowest content of unburned carbon was 0.2 wt.%,the specific surface area reached 178 m2/g,and the pore size reached 5 nm.The circulating fluidized bed combustion of rice husk based on acid pretreatment can prepare nano⁃silica while providing heat for industrial processes,which is a highly energy⁃rich process.

Comparative Effects of Cocoa Pod Husk and Oil Palm Bunch Ash on Nutrient Uptake, Growth and Dry Matter Yield of Cocoa (The-obroma cacao) in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria

The high premium placed on the organically produced cocoa in the international market coupled with its health and environmental benefits necessitated recent focus on research into the use of agricultural wastes as source of nutrients in cocoa (T. cacao) production. The study was carried out at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Ibadan (Lat. 7&deg25'N Long. 3&deg25'E), South-western, Nigeria during the 2010/2011 seedling production season to compare the effects of NPK (20:10:10) fertilizer, Cocoa Pod Husk and Oil Palm Bunch Ash (CPHA and OPA) on the seedling growth and dry matter yield of cocoa (T. cacao). Equivalent amount of different rates of two nutrients sources CPHA and OPA were applied one month after planting at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 t/ha respectively, recommended rate of 10 kg·N of the conventional NPK (20:10:10). Fertilizer was used as reference fertilizer. Results indicated that all the fertilizer materials positively and significantly (p > 0.05) increased the growth parameters considered. The influence of the ash materials irrespective of sources on the nutrient uptake, dry matter yield of cocoa seedlings and shoot to root ratio were either higher than or had a comparable results with the reference fertilizer (NPK 20:10:10). CPHA and OPA applied at a rate of 4 t/ha significantly (p > 0.05) increased the plant height and root length of cocoa seedlings respectively relative to control and in—organic fertilizer and could therefore be recommended for the prospective and existing Nigerian cocoa farmers for raising their seedlings in the nursery before transplanting to the field.

Study on Preparation of Rice Husk Ash with High Specific Surface Area and Its Chemical Reactivity

Preparation of rice husk ash with high specific surface area and chemical reactivity of the product are reported in this paper. The amorphous rice husk ash with high specific surface area of 311 m2·g-1 was produced by heating acid treated rice husk at 700℃ for 4 h. The isotherms of rice husk ash are similar in shape to type Ⅱof Brunaner's classification with mesopores being predominant. The rice husk ash has a high chemical reactivity,especially that pretreated with acid. This chemical reactivity depends on ashing temperature and pretreatment conditions. There is an exponential relation between the specific surface area of rice husk ash and the change in the conductivity of saturated Ca(OH)2 solution with rice husk ash, from which the specific surface area can be known according to the conductivity change.

Performance evaluation of cement-stabilized pond ash-rice husk ashclay mixture as a highway construction material

This paper reports the results of an investigation carried out on clay soil stabilized with pond ash(PA),rice husk ash(RHA) and cement. Modified Proctor compaction tests were performed in order to investigate the compaction behavior of clay, and California bearing ratio(CBR) tests were performed to determine the strength characteristics of clay. For evaluation purpose, the specimens containing different amounts of admixtures were prepared. Clay was replaced with PA and RHA at a dosage of 30%e45% and5%e20%, respectively. The influence of stabilizer types and dosages on mechanical properties of clay was evaluated. In order to study the surface morphology and crystallization characteristics of the soil samples, scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD) analyses were carried out,respectively. The results obtained indicated a decrease in the maximum dry density(MDD) and a simultaneous increase in the optimum moisture content(OMC) with the addition of PA and RHA.Multiple linear regression analysis(MLRA) showed that the predicted values of CBR tests are in good agreement with the experimental values. Developed stabilized soil mixtures showed satisfactory strength and can be used for construction of embankments and stabilization of sub-grade soil. The use of locally available soils, PA, RHA, and cement in the production of stabilized soils for such applications can provide sustainability for the local construction industry.

Sorghum as Dry Land Feedstock for Fuel Ethanol Production

Dry land crops such as sorghums （grain sorghum, promising feedstocks for fuel ethanol production. The major issue sweet sorghum and forage sorghum） have been identified as for using the sweet sorghum as feedstock is its stability at room temperature. At room temperature, the sweet sorghum juice could lose from 40% to 50% of its fermentable sugars from 7 to 14 days No significant sugar content and profile changes were observed in juice stored at refrigerator temperature in two weeks. Ethanol fermentation efficiencies of fresh and frozen juice were high （-93%）. Concentrated juice （≥25% sugar） had significantly lower efficiencies and large amounts of fructose left in finished beer; however, winery yeast strains and novel fermentation techniques may solve these problems. The ethanol yield from sorghum grain increased as starch content increased. No linear relationship between starch content and fermentation efficiency was found. Key factors affecting the ethanol fermentation efficiency of sorghum include starches and protein digestibility, amylose-lipid complexes, tannin content, and mash viscosity. Life cycle analysis showed a positive net energy value （NEV） = 25 500 Btu/gal ethanol. Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction （XRD） were used to determine changes in the structure and chemical composition of sorghum biomasses. Dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment was effective in removing the hemicellulose from biomasses and exposing the cellulose for enzymatic hydrolysis. Forage sorghum lignin had a lower syringyl/guaiacyl ratio and its pretreated biomass was easier to hydrolyze. Up to 72% hexose yield and 94% pentose yield were obtained by using a modified steam explosion with 2% sulfuric acid at 140℃ for 30 min and enzymatic hydrolysis with cellulase.

Moisture Content and Nutrient Composition of Alfalfa under Different Drying Methods

[Objective] The paper was to study the effects of different drying methods on moisture content and nutrient composition of alfalfa.[Method] Alfalfa collected from the same piece of land in early flowering period were dried through three different drying methods, solar drying,outdoor drying in the sun and outdoor drying in the shade, and the effects of different drying methods on contents of moisture, crude protein, crude ash and neutral detergent fiber（NDF） were measured. [Result] The moisture evaporation rate of different drying methods over the same period successively were solar drying 〉 outdoor drying in the sun 〉 outdoor drying in the shade. The crude protein content of alfalfa was the highest through solar drying（P〈0.05）, followed by outdoor drying in the shade, and the crude protein content through outdoor drying in the sun was the lowest. Under the condition of different moisture contents, the crude protein content of dried samples through outdoor drying in the sun decreased by 6.86%-22.43% compared to solar drying, and that through outdoor drying in the shade reduced by 4.92%-17.20%. Under the same moisture content, the crude ash content successively were outdoor drying in the shade 〉 outdoor drying in the sun 〉 solar drying; the crude ash content of alfalfa through solar drying was 3.72%-19.22% lower than outdoor drying in the sun, and 8.12%-29.93% lower than outdoor drying in the shade. The NDF content of alfalfa through outdoor drying in the sun was the highest, significantly higher than the other two drying methods（ P〈0.05）. The NDF content through solar drying was the lowest, 9.08%-27.25% lower than outdoor drying in the sun, and 4.84%-24.84% lower than outdoor drying in the shade. [Conclusion] The paper will provide some references for selection of appropriate alfalfa drying method.

粉煤灰制备沸石的技术及应用现状

粉煤灰(CFA)是发电厂在燃煤过程中形成的固体废弃物,其大量堆积造成的环境污染以及可回收资源浪费问题亟需解决。在粉煤灰众多再利用方式中,制备高吸附性能的沸石是实现粉煤灰高附加值应用的有效途径之一。来源不同的粉煤灰理化性质差异较大,因此,制备沸石材料之前需采取不同的方法对其进行活化预处理。本文概述了沸石合成工艺之间的关系及其优缺点,并进一步阐述了粉煤灰基沸石在废水处理、气体吸附分离以及土壤改良等方面的应用前景。从粉煤灰预处理、沸石合成方法、产物应用领域等三个方面对粉煤灰制备沸石的整体发展趋势进行了展望。

Effects of different pretreatments on the pore structure of Chinese yam during microwave freeze drying

In order to explore the effects of different pretreatments on the pore structure of Chinese yam during Microwave Freeze Drying(MFD),the samples were treated by typical drying pretreatments including osmosis,blanching and ultrasound,and compared with the untreated samples.The results showed that the pretreatment had significant impacts on the porosity of MFD Chinese yam.Ultrasonic pretreatment could obtain the highest open porosity,and the internal pore network structure of the material showed a uniform sponge shape.The shape of pores obtained by blanching pretreatment was the most irregular.The pore network structure obtained by different pretreatments could result in various product texture and rehydration,which implied that pretreatment methods should be carefully selected according to actual requirements.All these pretreatments could improve the open porosity of MFD Chinese yam,which result in a better rehydration capability.Among them,ultrasonic treatment is worth further investigating.

固废基ZSM-5合成及其改性研究进展

工业生产过程中产生大量粉煤灰、赤泥和煤气化渣,其堆积不仅侵占土地,还会严重破坏生态环境,危及人类健康。这3种固废均含有硅铝元素,且含量较高,硅铝比(氧化硅和氧化铝物质的量比)波动幅度较大。ZSM-5(Zeolite Socony Mobil 5)是一类硅铝比范围较宽的沸石分子筛,具有独特的孔道结构和良好的稳定性,在吸附和催化方面应用广泛。利用富含硅铝的固废制备ZSM-5是其高值化和资源化利用的重要途径之一。系统总结了富含硅铝的固废的活化除杂预处理通用方法,并且基于粉煤灰、赤泥和煤气化渣的理化性质特点,综述了固废基ZSM-5的合成及金属改性、磷改性、水热改性和酸碱改性4种方法的研究进展。分析固废作为硅铝源对ZSM-5合成、结构和性能的影响,指出固废在活化除杂过程中硅铝比的调控、杂质元素的去除转化、及主要元素的迁移转化规律是研究重点;讨论不同改性方法对ZSM-5结构和性能的影响机制,提出固废基ZSM-5中硅铝在骨架和非骨架中的分布、铁钙等杂元素的含量和存在形态、孔结构对改性效果起到非常重要的作用。通过对典型富含硅铝元素的固废基ZSM-5合成及其改性过程中存在问题和研究现状的分析和讨论,提出了粉煤灰、赤泥和煤气化渣多源固废复配,在无机模板剂或无模板剂条件下水热晶化制备ZSM-5,对固废基ZSM-5高效精准改性是未来发展方向。

提高草木灰中各元素的有效性研究

考察了煅烧温度、煅烧时间对草木灰中各元素的有效性影响.实验结果表明:草木灰经700℃煅烧1.0h,所含的硅能够大量转化为可溶性硅,其他元素可溶性物质无明显改变,故可作为硅肥的补充剂使用;以盐酸为浸提剂实验效果最好;浸提温度对实验结果影响不明显.

花椒对哈尔滨风干肠菌系及其菌系对风味的影响

以哈尔滨风干肠制作中常用香辛料花椒粉作为研究对象,探究其添加量对风干肠加工过程中菌系的影响及其菌系对风味的影响,利用选择性培养基对风干肠中的菌群进行分离培养,采用同时蒸馏萃取法结合气相色谱-质谱联用技术对挥发性风味成分进行测定。结果表明,风干肠中的花椒可以调节乳酸菌、葡萄球菌、微球菌、酵母菌菌群的生长关系,十四酸乙酯、十六酸乙酯、亚油酸乙酯、癸酸乙酯等酯类挥发性成分的改变源于香辛料对菌群的作用。花椒的添加有效抑制了菌落总数的增加,明显促进了乳酸菌的生长,对葡萄球菌、微球菌、酵母菌具有先促进后抑制的作用。混合香辛料对风干肠发酵过程中优势菌的促进作用及有害菌的抑制作用均高于单一添加花椒的作用,对风干肠风味的影响也明显强于花椒组和空白组,相对于单一添加花椒,混合香辛料的使用更有利于风干肠优良风味的形成。花椒对哈尔滨风干肠菌系有明显的影响,菌系的变化进而改变了产品的风味。