Recycling arsenic-containing bio-leaching residue after thermal treatment in cemented paste backfill:Structure modification,binder properties and environmental assessment

The substantial arsenic(As)content present in arsenic-containing bio-leaching residue(ABR)presents noteworthy environ-mental challenges attributable to its inherent instability and susceptibility to leaching.Given its elevated calcium sulfate content,ABR exhibits considerable promise for industrial applications.This study delved into the feasibility of utilizing ABR as a source of sulfates for producing super sulfated cement(SSC),offering an innovative binder for cemented paste backfill(CPB).Thermal treatment at varying temperatures of 150,350,600,and 800℃ was employed to modify ABR’s performance.The investigation encompassed the examination of phase transformations and alterations in the chemical composition of As within ABR.Subsequently,the hydration characteristics of SSC utilizing ABR,with or without thermal treatment,were studied,encompassing reaction kinetics,setting time,strength development,and microstructure.The findings revealed that thermal treatment changed the calcium sulfate structure in ABR,consequently impacting the resultant sample performance.Notably,calcination at 600℃ demonstrated optimal modification effects on both early and long-term strength attributes.This enhanced performance can be attributed to the augmented formation of reaction products and a densified micro-structure.Furthermore,the thermal treatment elicited modifications in the chemical As fractions within ABR,with limited impact on the As immobilization capacity of the prepared binders.

A thermodynamic view on the in-situ carbon dioxide reduction by biomass-derived hydrogen during calcium carbonate decomposition

In the carbonate industry,deep decarbonization strategies are necessary to effectively remediate CO_(2).These strategies mainly include both sustainable energy supplies and the conversion of CO_(2)in downstream processes.This study developed a coupled process of biomass chemical looping H2 production and reductive calcination of CaCO_(3).Firstly,a mass and energy balance of the coupled process was established in Aspen Plus.Following this,process optimization and energy integration were implemented to provide optimized operation conditions.Lastly,a life cycle assessment was carried out to assess the carbon footprint of the coupled process.Results reveal that the decomposition temperature of CaCO_(3)in an H_(2)atmosphere can be reduced to 780℃(generally around 900℃),and the conversion of CO_(2)from CaCO_(3)decomposition reached 81.33%with an H2:CO ratio of 2.49 in gaseous products.By optimizing systemic energy through heat integration,an energy efficiency of 86.30%was achieved.Additionally,the carbon footprint analysis revealed that the process with energy integration had a low global warming potential(GWP)of-2.624 kg·kg^(-1)(CO_(2)/CaO).Conclusively,this work performed a systematic analysis of introducing biomass-derived H_(2)into CaCO_(3)calcination and demonstrated the positive role of reductive calcination using green H_(2)in mitigating CO_(2)emissions within the carbonate industry.

Preparation and Characterization of Activated Carbons from Palm Nut Shells: Effects of Calcination Temperature on Porosity and Chemical Properties

Activated carbons (ACs) calcined at 400˚C, 500˚C, and 600˚C (AC-400, AC-500, and AC-600) were prepared using palm nut shells from Gabon as raw material and zinc chloride (ZnCl2) as a chemical activating agent. Prepared ACs were characterized by physisorption of nitrogen (N2), determination of diode and methylene blue numbers for studies of porosity and by quantification and determination of surface functional groups and pH at point of zero charge (pHpzc) respectively, for studies of chemical properties of prepared ACs. Then, effects of calcination temperature (Tcal) on porosity and chemical properties of prepared ACs were studied. The results obtained showed that when the calcination temperature increases from 500˚C to 600˚C, the porosity and chemical properties of prepared ACs are modified. Indeed, the methylene blue and iodine numbers determined for activated carbons AC-400 (460 and 7.94 mg·g−1, respectively) and AC-500 (680 and 8.90 mg·g−1, respectively) are higher than those obtained for AC-600 (360 and 5.75 mg·g−1, respectively). Compared to the AC-500 adsorbent, specific surface areas (SBET) and microporous volume losses for AC-600 were estimated to 44.7% and 45.8%, respectively. Moreover, in our experimental conditions, the effect of Tcal on the quantities of acidic and basic functional groups on the surface of the ACs appears negligible. In addition, results of the pHpzc of prepared ACs showed that as Tcal increases, the pH of the adsorbents increases and tends towards neutrality. Indeed, a stronger acidity was determined on AC-400 (pHpzc = 5.60) compared to those on AC-500 and AC-600 (pHpzc = 6.85 and 6.70, respectively). Also according to the results of porosity and chemical characterizations, adsorption being a surface phenomenon, 500˚C appears to be the optimal calcination temperature for the preparation of activated carbons from palm nut shells in our experimental conditions.

Properties and Hydration Mechanism of Cementitious Materials Prepared from Calcined Coal Gangue

The preparation of cementitious materials by replacing part of the cement with activated coal gangue is of great significance to the cement industry in terms of carbon reduction and coal-based solid waste utilization.For this paper,cementitious material was prepared by firing activated coal gangue under suspension conditions and batching it with limestone powder using Inner Mongolia coal gangue as raw material.The optimal ratio was determined by testing the strength changes of the cementitious material at 3,7,and 28 days of hydration,and the hydration process and mechanism were explored by combining the pore structure,heat of hydration,chemical composition,phase composition,and microscopic morphological characteristics of the hydration products.The results showed that the active materials formulated from activated gangue and limestone powder can be used to prepare cementitious materials with good performance at the level of 30%–50%replacement of cement.The optimal ratio was 30%replacement of cement,and the mass ratio of calcined gangue to limestone powder was 2:1.The 3 days compressive strength of this ratio was 28.8 MPa,which was only slightly lower than that of cement.However,the 28 days compressive strength of samples reached 67.5 MPa,which was much higher than that of the reference cement.In the hydration of this cementitious material,not only does the activated coal gangue react with the Ca(OH)_(2)formed by hydration to form C–S–H gel,but CaCO3 also participates in the reaction to form a new phase of carbon aluminate,and the two effects together promote the development of the later strength of the samples.This paper can provide a reference for carbon reduction in the cement production process and comprehensive utilization of coal gangue.

Hydration Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Cement-Based Materials Modified by Calcined Zeolite and Montmorillonite

Montmorillonite and clinoptilolite zeolite were used as representative materials to prepare calcined clay-cement binary cementitious materials in order to study the effect of calcination treatment on the activation of clay minerals and the activity difference between layered and framed clays in this research.The influence of different calcined clay content(2%,4%,6%,8%,10%)on the fluidity,compressive strength,microstructure,phase change,and hydration heat of cement-based materials were analyzed.The calcined clay improves the fluidity of cement-based materials as compared with the uncalcined group.The addition of calcined montmorillonite(CMT)improves the development of mechanical strength,and the optimal compressive strength reaches 85 MPa at 28 days with 8%CMT.However,the activity of calcined clinoptilolite zeolite(CZL)is weak with few reaction sites,which slightly reduced the mechanical strength as compared to the blank sample.The addition of CMT changes the microscopic morphology of hydration products such as C-S-H and C-A-H,leading to the formation and transformation of ettringite in the early stage.It promotes the gradual polymerization of Si-O bonds into Si-O-Si bonds simultaneously,which accelerates the early hydration process.However,CZL acts mainly as a filling function in the cementitious system.In brief,CMT as an admixture can improve the mechanical properties of cement,but CZL has little effect.This work provides a guideline for the applications of calcined clay in cement,considering the influence of clay type on workability and mechanical strength.

Orientational Separation of Sulfur in Petroleum Coke by Alkali Calcining and Reflux Washing

The application of high-sulfur petroleum coke after desulfurization in aluminum electrolysis anodes is an important development trend. However, removing sulfur from high-sulfur petroleum coke is still a significant challenge.This study proposes alkali calcining and reflux washing to examine the impacts of temperature, particle size, the mass ratio of Na_(2)CO_(3) to NaOH, and total sodium addition on the desulfurization efficiency and mechanism. The results show that the desulfurization rate increases with increasing temperature, increasing total sodium content, and decreasing particle size. The addition of alkali can significantly reduce the opening-ring reaction temperature of thiophene and convert organic sulfur into inorganic sulfur(Na_(2)S). Three washing methods were compared, and reflux washing was selected to separate inorganic sulfur(Na_(2)S) from calcined petroleum coke. The sulfur content in petroleum coke decreased from 7.29% to 1.90%, with a desulfurization rate of 80.13% under optimal conditions. The petroleum coke was analyzed before and after desulfurization using X-Ray diffraction(XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM), Infrared Spectroscopy(IR), Thermogravimetric Analysis and Differential Scanning Calorimetry(TG-DSC), Gaschromatography-mass Spectrometry(GC-MS). The results show that thiophene and benzothiophene in petroleum coke are decomposed and converted into octane and ethyl cyclohexane. These new observations are expected to provide further understanding and guidance for the utilization of highsulfur petroleum coke.

A Comparative Study of Transesterification of Hydnocapus weightiana Seed Oil Using Calcined and Acid Activated Natural Heterogeneous Catalyst and Its Kinetic Study

The world’s total fossil fuel consumption has been significantly increasing with consequential increased environmental catastrophes. A hunt for an alternate energy source was stimulated. Biofuel is a plausible option in this pursuit due to its ideal qualities which included but are not limited to renewability and environmental friendliness. However, the pump price of biodiesel is still very high due mainly to the high cost of the production of the commodity which is influenced by the feedstock and the homogeneous nature of catalyst used. Heterogeneous catalyst was prepared by using Pila globosa sea snail shells prepared by calcination (CP8) and by acid activation (PTW1M). Hydnocapus weightiana seed oil (Non-edible feedstock) was extracted using the soxhlet extraction method and was used for biofuel production with a methanol oil ratio of 3:1. Agitation speed 800, 600 rmp, reaction temperatures of 70°C, 60°C, catalyst concentration (3.00, 2.00 wt%) and reaction time (70 and 60 min) was maintained for CP8 and PTW1M respectively. The rate of the reaction followed a reversible second-order reaction rate. Re-usability accessed. From TGA analysis, the best calcination temperature was 800°C. SEM results showed improved surface morphology after calcination, especially for CP8. FTIR analysis showed the elimination of volatiles and formation of CaO and CaO4Te after calcination. The reaction rate constant at different temperatures was 0.0287 at 30°C, 0.1200 at 50°C and 0.1142 at 70°C and activation energy of the ethyl ester was 49.49 KJ/mol. Using CP8. Most of the fuel properties met with ASTM 6751 standard. The result of the re-usability showed that the biodiesel yield declined as follows: 92, 86, 80, 73 and 69 % for CP8 and 85, 84, 81, 76, 65. For PTW1M. After the fifth regeneration cycle, both CP8 and PTW1M samples of Pila globosa sea snail shell catalyst proved effective in transesterification reaction of Hydnocapus weightiana seed oil using ethanol. It was observed that the calcined catalyst (CP8) showed a superior catalytic performance.

Production of an Eco-Cement by Clinker Substitution by the Mixture of Calcined Clay and Limestone, Songololo (DR Congo)

Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) is by mass the largest manufactured product on Earth, responsible for approximately 6% - 8% of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) and 35% of industrial CO2 emissions. On average 0.8 to 0.9 ton of CO2 is emitted to produce one ton of OPC. In this paper, partial substitution of clinker (30% - 35%) by the calcined clay-limestone mixture was investigated in order to produce an eco-cement (LC3). Analyzes by XRF, XRD and ATG/ATD have characterized different components, determined the calcination temperature and selected the right clay which can act as effective Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM). Mechanical tests on mortar carried out over a period of 90 days. The WBCSD/WRI “Greenhouse Gas Protocol” methodology then allowed the calculation of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Three types of clay are available in the Songololo Region. The kaolinite is the principal clay mineral and its content varies from 27% to 34%. The sum of kaolinite and amorphous phase which enable clay to react with cementitious material ranges from 57% to 60%. The SiO2 content ranges from 33% to 76%, the Alumina content from 12% to 20% so that the ratio Al2O3/SiO2 is on the higher side (0.17 - 0.53). The calcination window is between 750°C and 850°C and the best clay which can act as SCM identified. The clinker’s substitution reduced CO2 emissions from 0.824 ton of CO2 for one ton of OPC to 0.640 ton of CO2 for one ton of LC3, means 22% less emissions. The compressive strengths developed by LC3 vary from 8.91 to 57.6 MPa (Day 1 to Day 90), exceed those of references 32.5 cement and are close to 42.5 cement. In view of the results, LC3 cement can be considered for industrial trials.

Potential for Use of Iron Mining Tailings Calcined in a Flash Furnace as Pozzolanic Material

This paper presents a study of the potential use of iron mining tailings as artificial pozzolan (metakaolin) after their submission to thermal treatment via calcination in a flash furnace. The research consists of the characterization of the tailings before and after calcination, chemical, mineralogical, thermogravimetric, and mechanical strength analyses were conducted. The results were compared with those for commonly used pozzolans, metakaolin, and similarities were identified. The study of the morphology of the particles before and after calcination was conducted through analyses of images obtained by scanning electronic microscope. The pozzolanic activity of the fine mining tailings calcined with flash technology was evaluated in uniaxial compression trials, which showed excellent results.

Highly active Cu/SiO_2 catalysts for hydrogenation of diethyl malonate to 1,3-propanediol

Cu/SiO2 catalysts prepared by the ammonia evaporation method were applied to hydrogenation of diethyl malonate to 1,3‐propanediol. The calcination temperature played an important role in the structural evolution and catalytic performance of the Cu/SiO2 catalysts, which were systematically characterized by N2 adsorption‐desorption, inductively coupled plasma‐atomic emission spectros‐copy, N2O chemisorption, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, H2 tempera‐ture‐programmed reduction, transmission electron microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectros‐copy. When the Cu/SiO2 catalyst was calcined at 723 K, 90.7%conversion of diethyl malonate and 32.3%selectivity of 1,3‐propanediol were achieved. Compared with Cu/SiO2 catalysts calcined at other temperatures, the enhanced catalytic performance of the Cu/SiO2 catalyst calcined at 723 K can be attributed to better dispersion of copper species, larger cupreous surface area and greater amount of copper phyllosilicate, which results in a higher ratio of Cu＋/Cu0. The synergetic effect of Cu0 and Cu＋is suggested to be responsible for the optimum activity.

Optimization of preparing V_2O_5 by calcination from ammonium metavanadate using response surface methodology

Parameters of technique to prepare vanadium pentoxide by calcination from ammonium metavanadate were optimized using central composite design of response surface methodology. A quadratic equation model for decomposition rate was built and effects of main factors and their corresponding relationships were obtained. The results of the statistical analysis show that the decomposition rate of ammonium metavanadate is significantly affected by calcination temperature and calcination time. The optimized calcination conditions are as follows： calcination temperature 669.71 K, calcination time 35.9 min and sample mass 4.25 g. The decomposition rate of ammonium metavanadate is 99.71%,which coincides well with experimental value of 99.27% under the optimized conditions, suggesting that regressive equation fits the decomposition rates perfectly. XRD reveals that it is feasible to prepare the V2O5 by calcination from ammonium metavanadate using response surface methodology.

Element distribution of high iron-bearing zinc calcine in high gradient magnetic field

High gradient magnetic separation was conducted in order to separate insoluble zinc ferrite from zinc calcine before acid leaching of hydrometallurgical process. Chemical composition and structural characterization of zinc calcine were studied via inductively coupled plasma （ICP）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, Mossbauer spectra, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and laser particle analysis （LPA）. The parameters of magnetic separation which affect the distribution of zinc ferrite and undesired elements, such as calcium, sulfur and lead in magnetic concentrate were investigated. The results of high gradient magnetic separation indicate that more than 85% of zinc ferrite is distributed into magnetic concentrate from the zinc calcine under the magnetic induction of 0.70 T. In addition, about 60% of calcium and 40% of sulfur distribute in non magnetic phases of tailings during magnetic separation process. Most of lead distributes uniformly along the zinc calcine in superfine particle size.

Effect of Calcination Temperature on Catalytic Activity and Textual Property of Cu/HMOR Catalysts in Dimethyl Ether Carbonylation Reaction

The effect of calcination temperature on the catalytic activity for the dimethyl ether （DME） carbonylation into methyl acetate （MA） was investigated over mordenite supported copper （Cu/HMOR） prepared by ion-exchange process. The results showed that the catalytic activity was obviously affected by the calcination temperature. The maximal DME conversion of 97.2% and the MA selectivity of 97.9% were obtained over the Cu/HMOR calcined at 430 ℃ under conditions of 210 ℃, 1.5 MPa, and GSHV of 4883 h^-1. The obtained Cu/HMOR catalysts were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, N2 absorption, NH3 temperature program desorption, CO temperature program desorption, and Raman techniques. Proper calcination temperature was effective to promote copper ions migration and diffusion, and led the support HMOR to possess more acid activity sites, which exhibited the complete decomposing of copper nitrate, large surface area and optimum micropore structure, more amount of CO adsorption site and proper amount of weak acid centers.

Effect of Calcination Temperature on La-Modified Al2O3 Catalysts for Vapor Phase Hydrofluorination of Acetylene to Vinyl Fluoride

A La-modified Al2O3 catalyst was prepared with deposition-precipitation method. The effect of calcination temperature on the reactivity for vapor phase hydrofluorination of acetylene to vinyl fluoride. The catalysts calcined at different temperatures were characterized using NH3-TPD, pyridine-FTIR, X-ray diffraction, and Raman techniques. It was found that the calcination process could not only change the structure of these catalysts but also modify the amount of surface acidity on the catalysts. The catalyst calcined at 400 ℃ exhibited the highest conversion of acetylene （94.6%） and highest selectivity to vinyl fluoride （83.4%） and lower coke deposition selectivity （0.72%）. The highest activity was related to the largest amount of surface acidity on the catalyst, and the coke deposition was also related to the total amount of surface acidic sites.

Low temperature molten salt synthesis of porous La_(1-x)Sr_xMn_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)O_3(0≤x≤0.6) microspheres with high catalytic activity for CO oxidation

A molten salt method was developed to prepare porous La1‐xSrxMn0.8Fe0.2O3 （0≤ x ≤ 0.6） micro‐spheres using hierarchical porous δ‐MnO2 microspheres as a template in eutectic NaNO3‐KNO3. X‐ray diffraction patterns showed that single phase LaMn0.8Fe0.2O3 with good crystallinity was syn‐thesized at 450℃ after 4 h. Transmission electron microscope images exhibited that the LaMn0.8Fe0.2O3 sample obtained at 450？？ after 4 h possessed a porous spherical morphology com‐posed of aggregated nanocrystallites. Field emission scanning electron microscope images indicated that the growth of the porous LaMn0.8Fe0.2O3 microspheres has two stages. SEM pictures showed that a higher calcination temperature than 450？？ had an adverse effect on the formation of a po‐rous spherical structure. The LaMn0.8Fe0.2O3 sample obtained at 450？？ after 4 h displayed a high BET surface area of 55.73 m2/g with a pore size of 9.38 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectra suggested that Sr2＋ions entered the A sites and induced a decrease of the binding energy between Mn and O. The CO conversion with the La1‐xSrxMn0.8Fe0.2O3 （0≤x≤0.6） samples indicated that the La0.4Sr0.6Mn0.8Fe0.2O3 sample had the best catalytic activity and stability. Further analysis by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated that Sr2＋doping altered the content of Mn4＋ions, oxygen vacancies and adsorbed oxygen species on the surface, which affected the catalytic performance for CO oxidation.

Adsorption of glutamic acid from aqueous solution with calcined layered double Mg-Fe-CO_3 hydroxide

Layered double Mg-Fe-CO3 hydroxide （Mg-Fe-LDH） with a mole ratio of Mg to Fe of 3 was synthesized by coprecipitation method and calcined product Mg-Fe-CLDH was obtained by heating Mg-Fe-LDH at 500 ℃ for 6 h. The as prepared Mg-Fe-LDH and calcined Mg-Fe-CLDH were used for removal of glutamic acid （Glu） from aqueous solution, respectively. Batch studies were carried out to address various experimental parameters such as contact time, pH, initial glutamic acid （Glu） concentration, co-existing anions and temperature. Glu was removed effectively （99.9%） under the optimized experimental conditions with Mg-Fe-CLDH. The adsorption kinetics follows the Ho’s pseudo second-order model. Isotherms for adsorption with Mg-Fe-CLDH at different solution temperatures were well described using the Langmuir model with a good correlation coefficient. The intraparticle diffusion model fitted the data well, which suggests that the intraparticle diffusion is not only the rate-limiting step.

Model of limestone calcination / sulfation under oxy-fuel fluidized bed combustion

The characteristics of the simultaneous calcination/ sulfation of limestone under oxy-fuel fluidized bed combustion were studied and compared with those of the sulfation of precalcined CaO. During the calcination stage, SO2 can react with product CaO and slow down the CaCO3 decomposition rate by the covering effect of the CaSO4 product. The sulfation rate of simultaneous calcinatiort/sulfation is slower than that of precalcined CaO, but with a long enough sulfation time, the calcium conversion of simultaneous calcination/sulfation is higher than that of the precalcined CaO. A grain-micrograin model is established to describe the simultaneous calcination, sintering and sulfation of limestone. The graln-micrograln model can reflect the true reaction process of the calcination and sulfation of limestone in oxy-fuel fluidized bed combustion.

Solvent-free selective oxidation of cyclohexane with molecular oxygen over manganese oxides:Effect of the calcination temperature

The effects of calcination temperature on the physicochemical properties of manganese oxide catalysts prepared by a precipitation method were assessed by X-ray diffraction,N2 adsorption-desorption,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,H2 temperature-programmed reduction,O2 temperature-programmed desorption,and thermogravimetry-differential analysis.The catalytic performance of each of these materials during the selective oxidation of cyclohexane with oxygen in a solvent-free system was subsequently examined.It was found that the MnOx-500 catalyst,calcined at 500 °C,consisted of a Mn2O3 phase in addition to Mn5O8 and Mn3O4 phases and possessed a low surface area.Unlike MnOx-500,the MnOx-400 catalyst prepared at 400 °C was composed solely of Mn3O4 and Mn5O8 and had a higher surface area.The pronounced catalytic activity of this latter material for the oxidation of cyclohexene was determined to result from numerous factors,including a higher concentration of surface adsorbed oxygen,greater quantities of the surface Mn4＋ ions that promote oxygen mobility and the extent of O2 adsorption and reducibility on the catalyst.The effects of various reaction conditions on the activity of the MnOx-400 during the oxidation of cyclohexane were also evaluated,such as the reaction temperature,reaction time,and initial oxygen pressure.Following a 4 h reaction at an initial O2 pressure of 0.5 MPa and 140 °C,an 8.0% cyclohexane conversion and 5.0% yield of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone were achieved over the MnOx-400 catalyst.In contrast,employing MnOx-500 resulted in a 6.1% conversion of cyclohexane and 75% selectivity for cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone.After being recycled through 10 replicate uses,the catalytic activity of the MnOx-400 catalyst was unchanged,demonstrating its good stability.

Effect of Calcination Temperature on Surface Oxygen Vacancies and Catalytic Performance Towards CO Oxidation of Co3O4 Nanoparticles Supported on SiO2

Co3O4/SiO2 catalysts for CO oxidation were prepared by conventional incipient wetness impregnation followed by calcination at various temperatures. Their structures were char- acterized with X-ray diffraction （XRD）, laser Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, temperature-programmed reduction （TPR） and X-ray absorption fine structure （XAFS） spectroscopy. Both XRD and Raman spectroscopy only detect the existence of Co3O4 crystallites in all catalysts. However, XPS results indicate that excess Co2＋ ions are present on the surface of Co3O4 in Co3O4（200）/Si02 as compared with bulk Co3O4. Meanwhile, TPR results suggest the presence of surface oxygen vacancies on Co3O4 in Co3O4（200）/SiO2, and XAFS results demonstrate that Co3O4 in Co3O4（200）/SIO2 contains excess Co2＋. Increasing calcination temperature results in oxidation of excess Co2＋ and the decrease of the concentration of surface oxygen vacancies, consequently the for- mation of stoichiometric Co3O4 on supported catalysts. Among all Co3O4/SiO2 catalysts, Co3O4（200）/SiO2 exhibits the best catalytic performance towards CO oxidation, demonstrating that excess Co2＋ and surface oxygen vacancies can enhance the catalytic activity of Co3O4 towards CO oxidation. These results nicely demonstrate the effect of calcination temperature on the structure and catalytic performance towards CO oxidation of silicasupported Co3O4 catalysts and highlight the important role of surface oxygen vacancies on Co3O4.

Extraction and characterization of alumina nanopowders from aluminum dross by acid dissolution process

A significant amount of aluminum dross is available as a waste in foundry industries in Bangladesh. In this study, alumina was ex- tracted from aluminum dross collected from two foundry industries situated in Dhamrai and Manikgang, near the capital city, Dhaka. Alu- minum dross samples were found to approximately contain 75wt% A1203 and 12wt% SIO2. An acid dissolution process was used to recover the alumina value from the dross. The effects of various parameters, e.g., temperature, acid concentration, and leaching time, on the extrac- tion of alumina were studied to optimize the dissolution process. First, AI（OH）3 was produced in the form of a gel. Calcination of the AI（OH）3 gel at 1000℃, 1200℃, and 1400℃ for 2 h produced O-AlcOa, （t~＋O）-A1203, and u-alumina powder, respectively. Thermal charac- terization of the AI（OH）3 gel was performed by thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis （TG/DTA） and differential scanning calo- rimetry （DSC）. The phases and crystallite size of the alumina were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The dimensions of the alumina were found to be on the nano level. The chemical compositions of the aluminum dross and alumina were determined by X-ray fluorescence （XRF） spectroscopy. The microstructure and morphology of the alumina were studied with scanning electron microscopy. The purity of the alumina extracted in this study was found to be 99.0%. Thus, it is expected that the obtained alumina powders can be potentially utilized as biomaterials.