Static and Dynamic Leaching Experiments of Heavy Metals from Fly Ash-Based Geopolymers

The feasibility of high calcium fly ash （CFA）-based geopolymers to fix heavy metals were studied. The CFA-based geopolymers were prepared from CFA, flue gas desulfurization gypsum （FGDG）, and water treatment residual （WTR）. The static leaching showed that heavy metals concentrations from CFA- based geopolymers were lower than their maximum concentration limits according to the U.S. environmental protection law. And the encapsulated and fixed ratios of heavy metals by the CFA-based geopolymers were 96.02%-99.88%. The dynamic real-time leaching experiment showed that concentration of Pb （II） was less than 1.μg / L, Cr （VI） less than 3.25 mg / L, while Hg （II） less than 4.0 μg / L. Additionally, dynamic accumulated leaching concentrations were increased at the beginning of leaching process then kept stable. During the dynamic leaching process, heavy metals migrated and accumulated in an area near to the solid-solution interface. When small part of heavy metals in ＂the accumulated area＂ breached through the threshold value of physical encapsulation and chemical fixation they migrated into solution. The dynamic leaching ratios and effective diffusion coefficients of heavy metals from CFA-based geopolymer were very low and the long-term security of heavy metals in CFA-based geopolymer was safe.

Toughness Improvement of Geothermal Well Cement at up to 300^°C: Using Carbon Microfiber

This study aimed at assessing the usefulness of carbon microfiber (CMF) in improving the compressive-toughness of sodium metasilicate-activated calcium aluminate/Class F fly ash foamed cement at hydrothermal temperatures of up to 300°C. When the CMFs came in contact with a pore solution of cement, their surfaces underwent alkali-caused oxidation, leading to the formation of metal (Na, Ca, Al)-complexed carboxylate groups. The extent of this oxidation was enhanced by the temperature increase, corresponding to the incorporation of more oxidation derivatives at higher temperatures. Although micro-probe examinations did not show any defects in the fibers, the enhanced oxidation engendered shrinkage of the interlayer spacing between the C-basal planes in CMFs, and a decline in their thermal stability. On the other hand, the complexed carboxylate groups present on the surfaces of oxidized fibers played a pivotal role in improving the adherence of fibers to the cement matrix. Such fiber/cement interfacial bonds contributed significantly to the excellent bridging effect of fibers, resistance to the cracks development and propagation, and to improvement of the post-crack material ductility. Consequently, the compressive toughness of the 85°-, 200°-, and 300°C-autoclaved foamed cements reinforced with 10 wt% CMF was 2.4-, 2.9-, and 3.1-fold higher than for cement without the reinforcement.

Mechanism of Calcined Phosphogypsum for the Volume Change of Blended Cement

The paper describes an investigation into the volume change of cement mortar specimen at the three kinds of different curing schedules including 20℃and 5% Na2SO4 solution curing, tap water standard curing, 50% RH curing for 90 days. The testing results of hydration heat, chemical shrinking and XRD prove that calcined phosphogypsum has evident excitation effect on the activity of high calcium ash and steel slag. Simultaneously, calcined phosphogypsum has the function of decreasing volume shrinkage to blended cement possessing steel slag and high calcium ash. In sulfate curing, calcined phosphogypsum can avoid the phenomenon of protrude apex of the blended cement.