Use of digital image analysis combined with fractal theory to determine particle morphology and surface texture of quartz sands

The particle morphology and surface texture play a major role in influencing mechanical and hydraulic behaviors of sandy soils. This paper presents the use of digital image analysis combined with fractal theory as a tool to quantify the particle morphology and surface texture of two types of quartz sands widely used in the region of Vitória, Espírito Santo, southeast of Brazil. The two investigated sands are sampled from different locations. The purpose of this paper is to present a simple, straightforward,reliable and reproducible methodology that can identify representative sandy soil texture parameters.The test results of the soil samples of the two sands separated by sieving into six size fractions are presented and discussed. The main advantages of the adopted methodology are its simplicity, reliability of the results, and relatively low cost. The results show that sands from the coastal spit(BS) have a greater degree of roundness and a smoother surface texture than river sands(RS). The values obtained in the test are statistically analyzed, and again it is confirmed that the BS sand has a slightly greater degree of sphericity than that of the RS sand. Moreover, the RS sand with rough surface texture has larger specific surface area values than the similar BS sand, which agree with the obtained roughness fractal dimensions. The consistent experimental results demonstrate that image analysis combined with fractal theory is an accurate and efficient method to quantify the differences in particle morphology and surface texture of quartz sands.

A Study of the Adsorption of Molecular Deposition Filming Flooding Agent MD-1 on Quartz Sand

Molecular deposition filming flooding (MDFF) is a novel oil recovery technique based on the thermopositive monolayer electrostatic adsorption of the MDFF agent on different interfaces within reservoir systems. In this paper, the adsorption property of the MDFF agent, MD-I, on quartz sand has been studied through adsorption experiments at different pH and temperatures. Experimental data are also analyzed kinetically and thermodynamically. The results show that the adsorption of MD-I on quartz sand takes place mainly because of electrostatic interactions, which corresponds to adsorption that increases with pH. Kinetic analyses show that at a higher pH the activation energy for adsorption gets lower and, therefore, the adsorption becomes quicker for MD-1 on quartz sand. Thermodynamic analyses show that pH plays an important role in the adsorption of MD-1 on quartz sand. At a higher pH, more negative surface charges result in the increase of electrostatic interactions between MD-1 and quartz sand. Therefore, the saturated adsorption amount increases and more adsorption heat will be released.

Adsorption and Transport of Ciprofloxacin in Quartz Sand at Different pH and Ionic Strength

Effects of pH and ionic strength on ciprofloxacin adsorption in quartz sand were studied through a batch equilibrium adsorption experiment in this paper. The experimental data were fitted by empirical formulas from Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isothermal curves, and the transport experiments in quartz sand at different pH and ionic strength were conducted to investigate the transport characteristics of ciprofloxacin. It was found that with the increase of pH value or ionic strength, adsorption capacity of ciprofloxacin decreased, so that it could move easier. The results indicated that low pH or ionic strength was conductive to the adsorption of ciprofloxacin in quartz sand. Meanwhile, a higher initial concentration or stronger ionic strength could result in a smaller linear distribution coefficient of ciprofloxacin, which meant a low adsorption capacity. According to the fitting results, the adsorption of ciprofloxacin in quartz sand could be described well by both Langmuir and Freundlich equations, of which Freundlich equation had a better efficacy.

Double Acid-Base Extraction of Silicic Acid from Quartz Sand

Silica is becoming more attractive as plant nutrient for non-graminae crops particularly in relation with drought-stress tolerant. Many efforts have been conducted to obtain an efficient technique to produce silica fertilizer worldwide, but the results are varying considerably due to various factors including raw material and extraction technique. This study was carried out to develop an efficient extraction technique for ortho-silicic acid (OSA-H4SiO4) from a Bangka-Belitung quartz sand by employing acid-base dissolution method. A 325-mesh size quartz sand was boiled in HCl solution at various concentrations. The optimum concentration was then used in the following experiment at several different volumes of solution. The sand obtained from optimum concentration and volume of HCl solution was then reacted with different amounts of NaOH (s), and heated until a wet mixture was obtained. As a reference the best extraction conditions were applied to a natural zeolite sample. All OSA analyses were done in triplicates with spectrophotometric method. Supporting evidences were collected from x-ray diffraction and scanning-electron-microscopy analyses of the treated samples. The yield of quartz sand-originated OSA was 183 g·kg-1 and significantly increased linearly with increasing weight of NaOH (R2 = 0.99**), whereas that from zeolite was only 104.2 g·kg-1 at 80 g NaOH. XRD and SEM data confirmed the evidences that the acid-base extraction disrupted the quartz mineral structure and as a consequence releasing more water soluble OSA.

Removal from Water and Adsorption onto Natural Quartz Sand of Hydroquinone

Hydroquinone (HQ) is the most important hydroxy aromatic compound which is produced on a large scale. Understanding its fate in the environment is therefore of primary importance to prevent its migration in the soil and/or the contamination of the aquatic ecosystems. Here we present a column based method to investigate the physicochemical processes controlling the removal from the aqueous phase and the adsorption onto natural quartz sand (NQS), of organic pollutant such as HQ molecules. We will focus on the interactions that occur between the organic pollutant and the NQS substrate. Thus, column reactors filled with NQS were used to investigate the influence of physicochemical parameters such as the ionic strength, the pH, the flow rate, and the nature of the electrolyte cation, on the HQ adsorption from water onto NQS substrate. The data indicate that, when divalent instead of monovalent cations, are present in the effluent water injection phase, and/or when the ionic strength of the effluent increases, the adsorbed HQ amount decreases. Similar decrease of the adsorbed HQ amount was also observed, at constant ionic strength, by increasing either, the pH from 3 to 9, the flow rate Q from 1 to 3 ml·mn-1, or by decreasing the HQ initial concentration, C0 from 30 to 6 mg·L-1. Further, large amount of the organic pollutant (up to 93 wt% of HQ molecules) was removed from the effluent water phase by using NQS column. The overall data seem to indicate that the adsorption of HQ molecules on the NQS surface is mainly controlled by electrostatic interaction forces occurring between the organic molecule polar groups and the inorganic matrix silanol groups.

Experimental investigation in the permeability of methane hydratebearing fine quartz sands

The permeability is one of the intrinsic parameters that determines the fluid flow in the porous media.The permeability in hydrate-bearing sediments affects the gas recovery and production of hydrate reservoirs significantly.The irregular permeability characteristics are challenging for fine-grained hydratebearing sediments.In this study,a series of experiments was conducted using an one-dimensional pressure vessel to investigate the hydrate formation characteristics and the permeability in hydratebearing fine quartz sands(volume weighted mean diameter was 36.695 mm).Hydrate saturations(0 e26%in volume)were controlled and calculated precisely based on the amount of injected water and gas,the system pressure and temperature.The results indicated that the hydrate nucleation induction period was completed during gas injection,and the average time of hydrate formation was within 500 min.The permeability of methane hydrate-bearing fine quartz sands was investigated by steady gas volume flow.For hydrate saturation lower than 13.94%,the hydrate mostly formed in grain-coating,the permeability reduction exponent calculated by Parallel Capillary,Kozeny Grain Coats and Simple Cubic Filling models were 2.00,2.10 and 1.74 respectively,and Simple Cubic Filling model was in accordance with the experimental data best.However,for hydrate saturation ranged from 13.94%to 25.91%,the permeability increased due to the flocculation structure formation of fine quartz sands and hydrate,which caused the increase of effective porosity.A new relationship among hydrate saturations,effective porosity,the ratio of permeability in the presence and the absence of hydrate was developed.This study developed the mathematical models for predicting the permeability with hydrate saturation in fine quartz sands,which could be valuable for understanding the characteristics of hydrate-bearing finegrained sediments.

Comparison of quartz sand, anthracite, shale and biological ceramsite for adsorptive removal of phosphorus from aqueous solution

The choice of substrates with high phosphorus adsorption capacity is vital for sustainable phosphorus removal from waste water in constructed wetlands. In this study, four substrates were used: quartz sand, anthracite, shale and biological ceramsite. These substrate samples were characterized by Xray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy studies for their mineral components(chemical components) and surface characteristics. The dynamic experimental results revealed the following ranking order for total phosphorus(TP) removal efficiency: anthracite > biological ceramsite > shale > quartz sand. The adsorptive removal capacities for TP using anthracite, biological ceramsite, shale and quartz sand were 85.87, 81.44, 59.65, and 55.98 mg/kg, respectively. Phosphorus desorption was also studied to analyze the substrates' adsorption efficiency in wastewater treatment as well as the substrates' ability to be reused for treatment. It was noted that the removal performance for the different forms of phosphorus was dependent on the nature of the substrate and the adsorption mechanism. A comparative analysis showed that the removal of particulate phosphorus was much easier using shale. Whereas anthracite had the highest soluble reactive phosphorus(SRP) adsorptive capacity, biological ceramsite had the highest dissolved organic phosphorus(DOP) removal capacity. Phosphorus removal by shale and biological ceramsite was mainly through chemical adsorption, precipitation or biological adsorption. On the other hand, phosphorus removal through physical adsorption(electrostatic attraction or ion exchange) was dominant in anthracite and quartz sand.

Sliding friction of shale rock on dry quartz sand particles

The sliding friction of rock, involving all kinds of particles at the contact surface, is relevant to many problems, ranging from those in artificial engineering to earthquake dynamics. In this work, the frictional performance of the shale rock–dry quartz sand contact was investigated using a self-developed testing device. The study showed that the coefficient of friction of the contact increases with nominal stress and that the corresponding friction force increases approximately linearly with nominal stress, which is directly related to the contact stress between each single sand particle and rock shale. An overall dynamic coefficient, γ, reflecting the response of friction force to nominal stress, first decreases and then increases with area ratio, which is determined by not only the contact stress but also the interparticle friction force. These have important repercussions for a preliminary understanding of the frictional properties of the shale rock–dry quartz sand contact in hydraulic fracturing and related industrial applications.

页岩气井用石英砂的耐老化机理研究

石英砂是非常规气体开采中非常实用的一种基础材料,在地层水模拟石英砂服役过程中,发现其破碎率下降。选用两种规格的石英砂在地层水中恒温浸泡不同时间,通过对浸泡前后的石英砂进行XRF、XRD、SEM、EDS、XPS、FT-IR等表征,探索石英砂的耐老化机理。XRF结果表明石英砂浸泡后ClO_(2)含量增加,XRD结果出现了SiCl_(4)和钙长石新峰,XPS结果出现了Cl2p和Ca 2p峰。这些结果揭示出地层水中的Cl-离子进入石英砂间隙中,与SiO_(2)反应生成SiCl_(4),从而生成硅酸凝胶,包覆在石英砂表面,阻断了石英砂与水的接触,加上石英砂表面附着有生成的钙长石,增加了石英砂的强度,从而提高了石英砂的抗破碎能力。

复合改性砂滤料制备及生物砂滤池对受污染原水的净化效果

为改善普通石英砂(QS)表面特性,提高生物砂滤池生物附着量及对水中污染物的去除效果,对QS进行氨基、铝离子及铝钙双氢氧化物改性,制得氨基改性砂(AMS)、铝离子改性砂(ALS)和铝钙双氢氧化物改性砂(CAS),以四种滤料填充滤池考察对受污染原水的净化效果。结果表明,与QS相比,ALS与CAS表面覆盖了金属离子,AMS、ALS、CAS表面形态及比表面积均得到改善,成膜后表面生物附着量分别增加3.6、5.5、6.9 mg/g;滤速为5 m/h时,CAS滤池对浊度和COD平均去除率分别为90.1%、51.8%。与AMS、ALS滤池相比,CAS滤池表面生物量最大,对水中污染物去除效果良好。

石英砂对UHPC力学性能的影响规律

研究了标准砂与工业石英砂作为细集料对UHPC100力学性能的影响规律。试验结果表明,两种养护条件下,标准砂UHPC3 d抗压与抗折强度增长较快,28 d两种砂的强度逐渐一致,但工业石英砂UHPC的抗折强度增长更高,抗拉强度与弹性模量则随着龄期呈明显增长趋势,不论是标准养护还是高温养护,工业用石英砂UHPC7 d力学性能更加突出,高温养护条件更佳。

石英砂剪切带内部结构演化特征的环剪试验研究

滑坡的宏观力学特性往往受滑带内部微观结构的影响,因此深入研究滑带内部微观结构的演变规律对于滑坡研究具有重要意义。通过石英砂环剪试验,模拟了剪切作用下颗粒状滑带的形成演化过程,利用CT扫描成像系统及图像处理技术,定量分析剪切带内部结构演变特征。研究结果表明:随着剪切位移增大,颗粒破碎导致剪切带内细颗粒逐渐增多,最终形成上下层细颗粒较少,核心层细颗粒富集的3层剪切带结构;剪切位移达到25 m时,细小颗粒在核心层两侧边界聚集形成细颗粒带,越靠近核心层边界细颗粒占比和颗粒磨圆度越大;剪切位移增大至100 m时,细颗粒带内形成2层连续发育细颗粒聚集的剪切滑动面。以上发现对于深入理解滑带的形成演化机制及内部结构的演变规律具有十分重要的意义。

河砂与石英砂对蒸养超高性能混凝土(UHPC)性能的影响及机理

本研究分别选用颗粒粒径分布相近的河砂与石英砂制备了不同胶砂比的超高性能混凝土(UHPC),探究了两种细集料对不同胶砂比情况下UHPC性能的影响。结果表明:(1)采用河砂制备的UHPC的扩展度稍大于采用石英砂者;(2)采用河砂制备的胶砂比为1.0的UHPC的抗压强度和抗拉强度最高,表现出明显的应变硬化现象,采用石英砂所制备的胶砂比为0.8的UHPC的抗拉强度最低,几乎无应变硬化现象;(3)细集料种类及胶砂比对水泥水化反应和掺合料火山灰反应的影响有限,蒸养条件下,硬化浆体中几乎无Ca(OH)_2存在;(4)UHPC内孔隙的直径大多小于1μm,胶砂比相同时,采用石英砂制备的UHPC所含孔径小于1μm孔的数量多于采用河砂者;(5)与石英砂相比,河砂与硬化浆体的界面过渡区较为致密,且采用河砂制备的UHPC中浆体对纤维的包裹性也较好。

贴砾过滤器贴砾层渗透性试验研究

贴砾过滤器、砾石充填在地热开采、水文观测等工程中得到了广泛应用。他们的主要工作部位为贴砾层、充填层,研究最常用的贴砾材料石英砂的渗透性能。通过调节砂样的粒径、细颗粒含量,测试砂样固结前后在饱和状态下的渗透性,分析粒径、级配对砂样固结前后渗透性的影响,通过试验数据整理,分析相同条件的砂样固结前后的渗透性能差异。试验表明,固结前后的砂样的渗透系数随粒径的减小而减小,在中砂范围内变化最大,在细砂范围变化较小;固结前后砂样的渗透系数都随着细颗粒含量的增多而减小,复配砂的最小渗透系数小于构成其细颗粒组砂的渗透系数;相同条件下,粗砂范围内,石英砂的渗透性能要优于固结后的石英砂,中细砂范围内,固结后的石英砂的渗透性能要优于石英砂。

某石英砂浮选降铁工艺及机理研究

对某石英砂沉降脱泥洗矿后浮选除铁工艺进行研究,考察调浆酸种类、矿浆pH值、调浆时间、捕收剂用量、浮选矿浆浓度等条件对石英砂精矿中铁含量的影响。结果表明:捕收剂采用十二烷基磺酸钠(SDS)反浮选脱除该石英砂中赤铁矿可以达到降铁的目的;浮选降铁较优的工艺条件为,石英砂原矿经脱泥后分级,106~450μm粒级的石英砂入浮,盐酸调节矿浆pH值至3、调浆时间2 min、浮选矿浆浓度20%、捕收剂SDS用量400 g/t、起泡剂松油醇用量25 g/t。最终可获得SiO2含量达98.84%、Fe2O3含量仅0.022%的石英砂精矿,满足无色玻璃工业的入料要求。此外,通过动电位测试发现,矿浆pH值约为3时处于石英和赤铁矿的等电点中间位置,此时捕收剂阴离子会选择性地作用于赤铁矿表面,从机理上初步解释了该pH值条件下赤铁矿得到较好脱除的原因。

湖北省恩施某光伏玻璃用石英砂提纯制备实验

这是一篇关于矿物加工工程领域的文章。光伏玻璃用石英砂是支撑新能源行业发展必不可少的原料之一,其供应安全保障事关我国双碳政策的成功实施。本文以湖北省恩施州某大型石英砂矿为研究对象,开展了工艺矿物学与除杂提纯实验研究,发现该石英砂矿的主要杂质为斜长石、云母、褐铁矿和金红石,采用了“分级-重选-磁选-酸浸”选矿工艺流程,最终获得符合粒度要求(0.106~0.500 mm)的石英砂精矿产率为67.61%,其SiO_(2)含量由97.36%提高至99.79%,有害元素Fe_(2)O_(3)、TiO_(2)与Al_(2)O_(3)含量则分别降低至75、80、630 g/t,石英精矿产品各项指标达到了光伏玻璃用硅质原料的生产要求,实现了该石英砂矿的有效利用。

海南福山油田流一段石英砂替代陶粒适应性评价及意义

页岩气、致密油气等非常规油气资源开发,关键在于提质增效降低成本。文章阐明了海南近海福山油田流一段薄互层致密砂岩采用本地石英砂替代陶粒作为主流支撑剂的低成本和优化裂缝导流能力的适应性特征;提供了海南本地20/40目石英砂和20/40目陶粒室内试验评价结果,在不同应力不同铺置浓度条件下, 20/40目石英砂和20/40目陶粒具有不同的导流能力;进一步揭示了地质参数相近两口开发井,在数值模拟优化试验基础上实施现场试验的结果:裂缝导流能力达到21D·cm,可满足流一段致密砂岩储层的导流需求;在35Mpa应力条件下, 10kg·m-2铺置浓度的20/40目石英砂可获得21D·cm以上的导流能力。现场试验表明,石英砂试验井压裂后前期基本可与陶粒试验井效果相同,随着开采时间延长,使用陶粒井的累计产油量和稳产有效期均超过使用本地石英砂开发井。因此,陶粒支撑剂经济效益更高,陶粒支撑剂值得继续长期和规模化使用。

合成石英砂工艺概况及几种石英砂的检测数据对比分析

高纯石英砂主要应用于单晶硅制造工艺中的石英坩埚,高端光学玻璃,半导体等领域。大致分为天然砂和合成砂两类,合成砂由于纯度更高,成分可控等优势,更适合于半导体以及更高要求的工艺制程。合成砂的生产不依赖于天然矿产,能缓解我国缺少高品质石英矿的现状,国内对于合成砂的研究还处于起步阶段。本文经过对比天然石英砂、进口合成砂、国产实验室合成砂的各项检测结果,可以指导不同应用条件下的砂选型。研究过程中,发现了可以通过X射线衍射法区分天然砂和合成砂的方法,并列举了粒径、杂质、粒型等检测数据对比。

高纯石英砂浮选工艺与药剂研究进展

高纯石英砂是半导体、光纤通信、光伏、航空航天等高新技术产业的基础原料,战略地位十分重要,直接关系到国家高新技术产业的健康可持续发展。作为高纯石英砂提纯工序中的关键一步,浮选技术的发展直接影响高纯石英砂原料的品质。对比分析了“有氟有酸”法、“无氟有酸”法以及“无氟无酸法”等主流浮选技术的优缺点,系统介绍了抑制剂、pH调整剂、活化剂等高纯石英砂浮选药剂的研究进展。在总结传统和新型合成药剂特点的基础上,阐述了目前高纯石英砂浮选行业面临的问题。为了突破国外高纯石英的垄断与封锁,尽可能降低浮选对环境的不利影响,发展环境友好型高纯石英砂浮选技术和开发绿色高效高纯石英浮选药剂将是未来的研究重点。