Dry Mix Slag—High-Calcium Fly Ash Binder. Part Two: Durability

This work investigates durability of cement-free mortars with a binder comprised of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) activated by high-calcium fly ash (HCFA) and sodium carbonate (Na2CO3): the soundness, sulfate resistance, alkali-silica reactivity and efflorescence factors are considered. Results of tests show that such mortars are resistant to alkali-silica expansion. Mortars are also sulfate-resistant when the amount of HCFA in the complex binder is within a limit of 10 wt%. The fineness of fly ash determines its’ ability to activate GGBFS hydration, and influence soundness of the binder, early strength development, sulfate resistance and efflorescence behavior. The present article is a continuation of authors’ work, previously published in MSA, Vol. 14, 240-254.

Preparation and characterization of ceramic materials with low thermal conductivity and high strength using high-calcium fly ash

High calcium-fly ash(HCFA)collected from the Mae Moh electricity generating plant in Thailand was utilized as a raw material for ceramic production.The main compositions of HCFA characterized by X-ray fluorescence mainly consisted of 28.55wt%SiO_(2),16.06wt%Al_(2)O_(3),23.40wt%CaO,and 17.03wt%Fe_(2)O_(3).Due to high proportion of calcareous and ferruginous contents,HCFA was used for replacing the potash feldspar in amounts of 10wt%-40wt%.The influence of substituting high-calcium fly ash(0-40wt%)and sintering temperatures(1000-1200℃)on physical,mechanical,and thermal properties of ceramic-based materials was investigated.The results showed that the in-corporation of HCFA in appropriate amounts could enhance the densification and the strength as well as reduce the thermal conductivity of ceramic samples.High proportion of calcareous and ferruginous constituents in fly ash promoted the vitrification behavior of ceramic samples.As a result,the densification was enhanced by liquid phase formation at optimum fly ash content and sintering temperature.In addition,these components also facilitated a more abundant mullite formation and consequently improved flexural strength of the ceramic samples.The op-timum ceramic properties were achieved with adding fly ash content between 10wt%-30wt%sintered at 1150-1200℃.At 1200℃,the max-imum flexural strength of ceramic-FA samples with adding fly ash 10wt%-30wt%(PSW-FA(10)-(30))was obtained in the range of 92.25-94.71 MPa when the water absorption reached almost zero(0.03%).In terms of thermal insulation materials,the increase in fly ash addi-tion had a positively effect on the thermal conductivity,due to the higher levels of porosity created by gas evolving from the inorganic decom-position reactions inside the ceramic-FA samples.The addition of 20wt%-40wt%high-calcium fly ash in ceramic samples sintered at 1150℃reduced the thermal conductivity to 14.78%-49.25%,while maintaining acceptable flexural strength values(~45.67-87.62 MPa).Based on these promising mechanical and thermal characteristics,it is feasible to utilize this high-calcium fly ash as an alternative raw material in clay compositions for manufacturing of ceramic tiles.

Effect of chemical admixtures on properties of high-calcium fly ash geopolymer

Owing to the high viscosity of sodium silicate solution, fly ash geopolymer has the problems of low workability and rapid setting time. Therefore, the effect of chemical admixtures on the properties of fly ash geopolymer was studied to overcome the rapid set of the geo-polymer in this paper. High-calcium fly ash and alkaline solution were used as starting materials to synthesize the geopolymer. Calcium chloride, calcium sulfate, sodium sulfate, and sucrose at dosages of 1wt% and 2wt% of fly ash were selected as admixtures based on concrete knowledge to improve the properties of the geopolymer. The setting time, compressive strength, and degree of reaction were recorded, and the microstructure was examined. The results show that calcium chloride significantly shortens both the initial and final setting times of the geopolymer paste. In addition, sucrose also delays the final setting time significantly. The degrees of reaction of fly ash in the geopolymer paste with the admixtures are all higher than those of the control paste. This contributes to the obvious increases in compressive strength.

Cellular lightweight concrete containing high-calcium fly ash and natural zeolite

Cellular lightweight concrete （CLC） with the controlled density of approximately 800 kg/m3 was made from a preformed foam, Type-I Portland cement （OPC）, fly ash （FA）, or natural zeolite （NZ）, and its compressive strength, setting time, water absorption, and microstructure of were tested. High-calcium FA and NZ with the median particle sizes of 14.52 and 7.72 μm, respectively, were used to partially replace OPC at 0, 10wt%, 20wt%, and 30wt% of the binder （OPC and pozzolan admixture）. A water-to-binder mass ratio （W/B） of 0.5 was used for all mixes. The testing results indicated that CLC containing 10wt% NZ had the highest compressive strength. The replacement of OPC with NZ decreased the total porosity and air void size but increased the capillary porosity of the CLC. The incorporation of a suitable amount of NZ decreased the setting time, total porosity, and pore size of the paste compared with the findings with the same amount of FA. The total porosity and cumulative pore volume decreased, whereas the gel and capillary pores increased as a result of adding both pozzolans at all replacement levels. The water absorption increased as the capillary porosity increased; this effect depended on the volume of air entrained and the type or amount of pozzolan.

Dry Mix Slag—High-Calcium Fly Ash Binder. Part One: Hydration and Mechanical Properties

High-calcium fly ash (HCFA)—a residue of high-temperature coal combustion at thermal power plants, in combination with sodium carbonate presents an effective hardening activator of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS). Substitution of 10% - 30% of GGBFS by HCFA and premixing of 1% - 3% Na2CO3 to this dry binary binder was discovered to give mortar compression strength of 10 - 30 to 30 - 45 MPa at 7 and 28 days when moist cured at ambient temperature. High-calcium fly ash produced from low-temperature combustion of fuel, like in circulating fluidized bed technology, reacts with water readily and is itself a good hardening activator for GGBFS, so introduction of Na2CO3 into such mix has no noticeable effect on the mortar strength. However, low-temperature HCFA has higher water demand, and the strength of mortar is compromised by this factor. As of today, our research is still ongoing, and we expect to publish more data on different aspects of durability of proposed GGBFS-HCFA binder later.

Mechanism study of Cu(Ⅱ) adsorption from acidic wastewater by ultrasonic-modified municipal solid waste incineration fly ash

High concentrations of copper ions(Cu(Ⅱ)) in water will pose health risks to humans and the ecological environment. Therefore, this study aims to utilize ultrasonic-cured modified municipal solid waste incineration(MSWI) fly ash for Cu(Ⅱ) adsorption to achieve the purpose of “treating waste by waste.” The effects of p H, adsorption time, initial concentration, and temperature on the modified MSWI fly ash’s adsorption efficiency were systematically studied in this article. The adsorption performance of the modified MSWI fly ash can be enhanced by the ultrasonic modification. At pH = 2, 3 and 4, the adsorption capacity of the modified MSWI fly ash for Cu(Ⅱ) increased by 2.7, 1.9 and 1.2 times, respectively. Furthermore, it was suggested that the adsorption process of the modified MSWI fly ash can be better simulated by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, with a maximum adsorption capacity calculated by the Langmuir model of 24.196 mg.g-1. Additionally, the adsorption process is spontaneous,endothermic, and chemisorption-dominated from the thermodynamic studies(ΔH and ΔS > 0, ΔG < 0).Finally, the enhanced adsorption performance of the modified MSWI fly ash for Cu(Ⅱ) may be attributed to electrostatic interaction and chelation effects.

A mini review on the separation of Al,Fe and Ti elements from coal fly ash leachate

The electricity demand is increasing rapidly with the development of society and technology.Coal-fired thermal power plants have become one of the primary sources of electricity generation for urbanization.However,coal-fired thermal power plants produce a great amount of by-product coal fly ash every year.Coal fly ash disposal in landfills requires a sizable space and has negative environmental impacts.Therefore,it is crucial to develop new technologies and methods to utilize this enormous volume of solid waste in order to protect the environment.In this review,the fundamental physical and chemical character-istics of coal fly ash are introduced,and afterward the disposal policies and utilization ways of coal fly ash are discussed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the various ways this waste.The leaching of valuable metals in coal fly ash and the extraction of metal elements in leachate under different conditions are also summarized.Furthermore,the possibility of coal fly ash to serve as a supplementary source for mineral resources is analyzed,providing a basis for its extensive use as a raw material in the metal industry in China and worldwide.

Solvothermal synthesis and adsorption performance of layered boehmite using aluminum chloride and high-alumina fly ash

High alumina fly ash(FAHAl)is a kind of bulk solid waste unique to China,whose availability of high-value aluminum and the threat to the environment makes its high-value utilization urgent.In this work,the alumina containing leaching solution obtained from Na_(2)CO_(3) roasting and HCl leaching of FAHAl was used as the mother liquor to prepare layered boehmite in situ.The preparation process with AlCl_(3) as the raw material was also compared.The formation process and mechanism of boehmite,the choice of solvent,along with the adsorption capability of Congo red were analyzed by X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method and adsorption experiments.Results showed that during the preparation of layered boehmite,the precursor Al(OH)_(3) from the reaction of Al^(3+) and OH-is transformed into boehmiteγ-AlOOH.The existence of ethanol is beneficial to regulate and promote the growth of boehmite crystal effectively.When water and ethanol are mixed with a volume ratio of 2:1 and used as the solvent,the maximum specific surface area of the boehmite is obtained at 135.7 m^(2)·g^(-1),and 99.16%of Congo red can be absorbed after 10 min when AlCl3 is used as a raw material.As purified leaching solution is used as the mother liquid,the crystallinity of boehmite decreases slightly when the pH value decreases from 12.5 to 11.When pH is 11,the removal efficiency of Congo red reaches a maximum of 72.25%.This process not only achieves the extraction of aluminum and high-value utilization of FAHAl but also provides a thought to prepare layered boehmite with adsorption properties.

Synergistic CO_(2) mineralization using coal fly ash and red mud as a composite system

CO_(2) mineralization plays a critical role in the storage and utilization of CO_(2).Coal fly ash(CFA)and red mud(RM)are widely utilized as CO_(2) mineralizers.However,the inert calcium species in CFA limit its carbonation capacity,meanwhile the substantial Ca^(2+)releasing of RM is hindered by a covering layer of calcium carbonate.In this study,CO_(2) mineralization in a composite system of CFA and RM was investigated to enhance the carbonation capacity.Multiple analyzers were employed to characterize the raw materials and resulting mineralization products.The results demonstrated that a synergistic effect existed in the composite system of CFA and RM,resulting in improving CO_(2) mineralization rate and efficiency.The produced calcium carbonate was ectopically attached the surface of CFA in the composite system,thus slowing down its coverage on the surface of RM.This phenomenon facilitated further releasing Ca^(2+)from the internal RM,thereby enhancing CO_(2) mineralization efficiency.Meanwhile,the inclusion of RM significantly improved the alkalinity of the composite system,which not only promoted the dissolution of Ca^(2+)of the inert CaSO_(4)(H_(2)O)_(2) in CFA,but also accelerated CO_(2) mineralization rate.The investigation would be beneficial to CO_(2) mineralization using industrial solid wastes.

Experimental study on the activation of coal gasification fly ash from industrial CFB gasifiers

Coal gasification fly ash(CGFA)is an industrial solid waste from the coal circulating fluidized bed(CFB)gasification process,and it needs to be effectively disposed to achieve sustainable development of the environment.To realize the application of CGFA as a precursor of porous carbon materials,the physicochemical properties of three kinds of CGFA from industrial CFB gasifiers are analyzed.Then,the activation potential of CGFA is acquired via steam activation experiments in a tube furnace reactor.Finally,the fluidization activation technology of CGFA is practiced in a bench-scale CFB test rig,and its advantages are highlighted.The results show that CGFA is characterized by a high carbon content in the range of 54.06%–74.09%,an ultrafine particle size(d50:16.3–26.1 μm),and a relatively developed pore structure(specific surface area SSA:139.29–551.97 m^(2)·g^(-1)).The proportion of micropores in CGFA increases gradually with the coal rank.Steam activation experiments show that the pore development of CGFA mainly includes three stages:initial pore development,dynamic equilibrium between micropores and mesopores and pore collapse.The SSA of lignite fly ash(LFA),subbituminous fly ash(SBFA)and anthracite fly ash(AFA)is maximally increased by 105%,13%and 72%after steam activation;the order of the largest carbon reaction rate and decomposition ratio of steam among the three kinds of CGFA is SBFA>LFA>AFA.As the ratio of oxygen to carbon during the fluidization activation of LFA is from 0.09 to 0.19,the carbon conversion ratio increases from 14.4%to 26.8%and the cold gas efficiency increases from 6.8%to 10.2%.The SSA of LFA increases by up to 53.9%during the fluidization activation process,which is mainly due to the mesoporous development.Relative to steam activation in a tube furnace reactor,fluidization activation takes an extremely short time(seconds)to achieve the same activation effect.It is expected to further improve the activation effect of LFA by regulating the carbon conversion ratio range of 27%–35%to create pores in the initial development stage.

Combined use of fly ash and silica to prevent the long-term strength retrogression of oil well cement set and cured at HPHT conditions

The long-term strength retrogression of silica-enriched oil well cement poses a significant threat to wellbore integrity in deep and ultra-deep wells, which is a major obstacle for deep petroleum and geothermal energy development. Previous attempts to address this problem has been unsatisfactory because they can only reduce the strength decline rate. This study presents a new solution to this problem by incorporating fly ash to the traditional silica-cement systems. The influences of fly ash and silica on the strength retrogression behavior of oil well cement systems directly set and cured under the condition of 200°C and 50 MPa are investigated. Test results indicate that the slurries containing only silica or fly ash experience severe strength retrogression from 2 to 30 d curing, while the slurries containing both fly ash and silica experience strength enhancement from 2 to 90 d. The strength test results are corroborated by further evidences from permeability tests as well as microstructure analysis of set cement. Composition of set cement evaluated by quantitative X-ray diffraction analyses with partial or no known crystal structure(PONKCS) method and thermogravimetry analyses revealed that the conversion of amorphous C-(A)-S-H to crystalline phases is the primary cause of long-term strength retrogression.The addition of fly ash can reduce the initial amount of C-(A)-S-H in the set cement, and its combined use with silica can prevent the crystallization of C-(A)-S-H, which is believed to be the working mechanism of this new admixture in improving long-term strength stability of oil well cement systems.

Study on Fly Ash Based Porous Ceramsite as Biological Filter Media

Using fly ash as a raw material,porous ceramic particles with an apparent density of 1.21 g/cm^(3),a visible porosity of 51.03%,and a specific surface area of 4.26 m^(2)/g were prepared and used as biofilter materials for wastewater treatment.Through SEM,XRD analysis,and heavy metal leaching analysis,it was found that porous ceramsite were porous materials with rough surfaces.After calcination,the newly formed mineral was silicate calcium feldspar.The heavy metal concentration in the leaching solution of porous ceramsite met the national surface water quality requirements.The treatment of domestic sewage showed that the volumetric loads of COD Cr,NH_(4)^(+)-N,and TN removed by the aerated biofilter were 5.23,0.98,and 0.35 kg/(m^(3)·d),respectively,with removal rates of 85.46%,96.13%,and 32.31%.

Liming Characteristics of a High-Calcium Dry Flue Gas Desulfurization By-Product and a Class-C Fly Ash

Due to coal’s availability and low cost, coal combustion continues to be the United States’ primary energy source. However, coal combustion produces large quantities of waste material. Some coal combustion by-products (CCBs) have chemical and physical characteristics that make them potentially useful as soil amendments. The objectives of this study were to characterize a relatively new, high-calcium dry flue gas desulfurization (DFGD) by-product and compare its agronomic liming potential to a Class-C fly ash (FA) and reagent-grade calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Calcium car-bonate equivalence (CCE), degree of fineness (DOF), and effective neutralizing value (ENV) for each CCB were determined using standard methods. The CCBs and CaCO3 were also incubated with an acidic (~4.5) clay sub-soil at application rates equiva-lent to 0, 0.5, 1, and 2 times the soil’s lime requirement and compared to an una-mended control. Soil pH was then measured periodically during a 40-day incubation. The ENV of 79.4% for the DFGD by-product and 57.3% for the FA were comparable to those of commercially available liming materials, but were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than that of reagent-grade CaCO3. After 40 days of incubation at the 0.5× ap-plication rate, both CCBs raised the pH of the clay soil to only 5.0, while the CaCO3 raised the pH to 6.5. After 40 days at the 1× rate, all three materials had raised the soil pH to between 6.5 and 7.0, although the FA increased the soil pH more slowly than did the other two materials. At the 2× rate, both CCBs increased the soil pH to between 7.5 and 8.0, while the CaCO3 increased the soil pH to only 7.0. Both CCBs appear to be useful as soil liming materials, although care should be taken to avoid over-application, as this may make the soil too alkaline for optimum plant growth.

Extraction of aluminum by pressure acid-leaching method from coal fly ash

Aluminum was leached out from coal fly ash by pressure acid-leaching method. The effects of coal fly ash size, sulfuric acid concentration, reaction time and reaction temperature on extraction efficiency of aluminum were investigated comprehensively. The phase and morphology of coal fly ash and solid residues after reaction were analyzed by XRD, SEM and IR. The optimal technological conditions for extracting aluminum from coal fly ash were eventually confirmed that coal fly ash with size of 74 μm and sulfuric acid with concentration of 50% are mixed in pressure reaction kettle to react for 4 h at 180 ℃. Under the optimal conditions, the extraction efficiency of aluminum can reach 82.4%.

Extraction of alumina from fly ash by ammonium hydrogen sulfate roasting technology

NH4HSO4 roasting technology was used for preparing Al2O3 from fly ash. First, Al and Fe were extracted from fly ash by NH4HSO4 roasting and deionized water leaching. Then, the Al and Fe in the leached liquid were precipitated by adding NH4HCO3 solution. After the mixed precipitations of Al（OH）3 and Fe（OH）3 were leached by NaOH solution, the NaAl（OH）4 solution was decomposed by carbonation. Finally, the pure Al（OH）3 was calcined to α-Al2O3. The optimal conditions of the whole technology were determined by experiments. The quality ofa-Al2O3 product is up to the technical indicator of YS/T 274-1998 standard.

Reaction behaviour of Al_2O_3 and SiO_2 in high alumina coal fly ash during alkali hydrothermal process

The reaction behaviours of A1203 and SiO2 in high alumina coal fly ash under various alkali hydrothermal conditions were studied. The means of XRD, XRF, FTIR and SEM were used to measure the mineral phase and morphology of the solid samples obtained by different alkali hydrothermal treatments as well as the leaching ratio of SiO2 to A1203 in alkali solution. The results showed that with the increase of the hydrothermal treating temperature from 75 to 160 ~C, phillipsite-Na, zeolite A, zeolite P, and hydroxysodalite were produced sequentially while the mullite and corundum phase still remained. Zeolite P was massively formed at low-alkali concentration and the hydroxysodalite was predominantly obtained at high-alkali concentration. By the dissolution of aluminosilicate glass and the formation of zeolites together, the leaching efficiency of SiO2 can reach 42.13% with the mass ratio of A1203/SIO2 up to 2.19：1.

Kinetics of SiO_2 leaching from Al_2O_3 extracted slag of fly ash with sodium hydroxide solution

Kinetics of SiO2 leaching from Al2O3 extracted slag of fly ash with sodium hydroxide solution was studied.The effect of leaching temperature,mass ratio of NaOH to SiO2 and stirring speed on SiO2 leaching rate was investigated.The results show that increasing leaching temperature,mass ratio of NaOH to SiO2 and stirring speed increases SiO2 leaching rate.The SiO2 leaching rate is 95.66%under the optimized conditions.There are two stages for the SiO2 leaching process,and the leaching reaction is very rapid in the first stage but quite slow in the second stage.The whole leaching process follows the shrinking core model,and the outer diffusion of no product layer is the rate-controlling step.The activation energies of the first and second stages are calculated to be8.492 kJ/mol and 8.668 kJ/mol,respectively.The kinetic equations of the first and the second stages were obtained,respectively.

Fabrication of β-Sialon/ZrN/ZrON composites using fly ash and zircon

β-Sialon/ZrN/ZrON composites were successfully fabricated by an in-situ carbothermal reduction？nitridation process with fly ash, zircon and active carbon as raw materials. The effects of raw materials composition and holding time on synthesis process were investigated, and the formation process of the composites was also discussed. The phase composition and microstructure of the composites were characterized by means of XRD and SEM. It was found that increasing carbon content in a sample and holding time could promote the formation of β-Sialon, ZrN and ZrON. The proper processing parameters to synthesize β-Sialon/ZrN/ZrON composites were mass ratio of zircon to fly ash to active carbon of 49：100：100, synthesis temperature of 1550 °C and holding time of 15 h. The average grain size ofβ-Sialon and ZrN（ZrON） synthesized at 1550 °C for 15 h reached about 2 and 1μm, respectively. The fabrication process ofβ-Sialon/ZrN/ZrON composites included the formation ofβ-Sialon and ZrO2 as well as the conversion of ZrO2 to ZrN and ZrON.

Recovery of alumina from circulating fluidized bed combustion Al-rich fly ash using mild hydrochemical process

To utilize CFBC Al-rich fly ash, a mild hydrochemical extraction process was investigated for recovery of alumina. An alumina extraction efficiency of 92.31%was attained using a 45%NaOH solution, an original caustic ratio （molar ratio of Na2O to Al2O3 in the sodium aluminate solution） of 25, a molar ratio of CaO to SiO2 in the fly ash of 1.1, a liquid volume to solid mass ratio of 9, a reaction temperature of 280 ℃, and a residence time of 1 h when treating fly ash with an alumina to silica mass ratio （A/S） of 0.78 and an alumina content of 32.43%. Additionally, the alumina leaching mechanism was explored via structural and chemical analysis, which revealed that after alkaline digestion, the main solid phase containing silica was NaCaHSiO4 with a theoretical A/S of zero.

Photocatalytic activity of TiO_2 supported SiO_2-Al_2O_3 aerogels prepared from industrial fly ash

A ternary composite of TiO2 and a SiO2-Al2O3 aerogel with good photocatalytic activity was prepared by a simple sol-gel method with TiO2 nanoparticles and SiO2-Al2O3 aerogels derived from industrial fly ash.The structural features of the TiO2/SiO2-Al2O3 aerogel composite were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,transmission electron microscopy,gas adsorption measurements and diffuse reflectance UV-visible spectroscopy.The optimal conditions for photocatalytic degradation of 2-sec-butyl-4,6-dinitrophenol（DNBP],included an initial DNBP concentration of 0.167 mmol/L at pH = 4.86 with a catalyst concentration of 6 g/L,under visible light irradiation for 5 h.A plausible mechanism is proposed for the photocatalytic degradation of DNBP.Our composite showed higher photocatalytic activity for DNBP degradation than that of pure TiO2.This indicates that this material can serve as an efficient photocatalyst for degradation of hazardous organic pollutants in wastewater.