Integration of coal pyrolysis process with iron ore reduction： Reduction behaviors of iron ore with benzene-containing coal pyrolysis gas as a reducing agent

An integrated coal pyrolysis process with iron ore reduction is proposed in this article. As the first step, iron oxide reduction is studied in a fixed bed reactor using simulated coal pyrolysis gas with benzene as a model tar compound. Variables such as reduction temperature, reduction time and benzene concentration are studied. The carbon deposition of benzene results in the retarded iron reduction at low temperatures. At high temperatures over800 °C, the presence of benzene in the gas can promote iron reduction. The metallization can reach up to 99% in20 min at 900 °C in the presence of benzene. Significant increases of hydrogen and CO/CO2 ratio are observed in the gas. It is indicated that iron reduction is accompanied by the reforming and decomposition of benzene. The degree of metallization and reduction increases with the increasing benzene concentration. Iron oxide can nearly completely be converted into cementite with benzene present in the gas under the experimental conditions. No sintering is found in the reduced sample with benzene in the gas.

Mechanism of scaling on oxidation reactor wall in TiO_2 synthesis by chloride process

The mechanism of scaling on the oxidation reactor wall in TiO2 synthesis process was investigated. The formation of wall scale is mostly due to being deposited and sintered of TiO2 particle formed in the gas phase reaction of TiCl4 with O2. The gas-phase oxidation of TiCl4 was in a high temperature tubular flow reactor with quartz and ceramic rods put in center respectively. Scale layers are formed on reactor wall and two rods. Morphology and phase composition of them were characterized by transmission electron microscope(TEM), scan electron micrographs(SEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD). The state of reactor wall has a little effect on scaling formation. With uneven temperature distribution along axial of reactor, the higher the reaction temperature is,the thicker the scale layer and the more compact the scale structure is.

Numerical Study of Solid-Liquid Two-Phase Flow in StirredTanks with Rushton Impeller(Ⅱ) Prediction of Critical Impeller Speed

Three-dimensional solid-liquid flow is mathematically formulated by means of the 'two-fluid' approach and the two-phase k-ε-AP turbulence model. The turbulent fluctuation correlations appearing in the Reynolds time averaged governing equations are fully incorporated. The solid-liquid flow field and solid concentration distribution in baffled stirred tanks with a standard Rushton impeller are numerically simulated using an improved 'inner-outer'iterative procedure. The flow pattern is identified via the velocity vector plots and a recirculation loop with higher solid concentration is observed in the central vicinity beneath the impeller. Comparison of the simulation with experimental data on the mean velocities and the turbulence quantities of the solid phase is made and quite reasonable agreement is obtained except for the impeller swept volume. The counterpart of liquid phase is presented as well.The predicted solid concentration distribution for three experimental cases with the average solid concentration up to 20% is also found to agree reasonably with the experimental results published in the literature.

Numerical Study of Solid-Liquid Two-Phase Flow in Stirred Tanks with Rushton Impeller (Ⅰ) Formulation and Simulation of Flow Field

The critical impeller speed, NJs, for complete suspension of solid particles in the agitated solid-liquid two-phase system in baffled stirred tanks with a standard Rushton impeller is predicted using the computational procedure proposed in Part I. Three different numerical criteria are tested for determining the critical solid suspension. The predicted NJS is compared with those obtained from several empirical correlations. It is suggested the most reasonable criterion for determining the complete suspension of solid particles is the positive sign of simulated axial velocity of solid phase at the location where the solid particles are most difficult to be suspended.

Suppressing secondary reactions of coal pyrolysis by reducing pressure and mounting internals in fixed-bed reactor

Pyrolysis of Shenmu coal was performed in fixed-bed reactors indirectly heated by reducing operating pressure and mounting internals in the reactor to explore their synergetic effects on coal pyrolysis. Mounting internals particularly designed greatly improved the heat transfer inside coal bed and raised the yield of tar production.Reducing pressure further facilitated the production of tar through its suppression of secondary reactions occurring in the reactor. The absolute increase in tar yield reached 3.33 wt% in comparison with the pyrolysis in the reactor without internals under atmospheric pressure. The obtained tar yield in the reactor with internals under reduced pressure was even higher than the yield of Gray–King assay. Through experiments in a laboratory fixed bed reactor, it was also clarified that the effect of reducing pressure is related to volatile release rate in pyrolysis. It did not obviously vary tar yield at pyrolysis temperatures below 600 °C, while the effect was evident at 650 and 700 °C but became limited again above 800 °C. Under reduced pressure the produced tar contained more aliphatics and phenols but less aromatics.

Synthesis of texture-excellent mesoporous alumina using PEG1000 as structure-directing agent

By varying concentration of PEG1000 as a structure-directing agent,mesoporous alumina with excellent textural properties was synthesized.The prepared mesoporous alumina displays high thermal stability,as shown by its textural properties at different calcination temperatures of 600-850 °C.Characterization by SEM and TEM revealed that the added PEG surfactant induced the formation of petal-like alumina.XRD results clarified that all samples were amorphous and their peaks were around the peaks of γ-alumina.N_2 adsorption-desorption analysis showed that the prepared mesoporous alumina,if with PEG1000 in hydrolysis of aluminum isopropoxide,had excellent textural properties with large specific surface area,high pore volume and suitable pore size.The petal-like structure existing in the alumina samples improved their textural parameters,and the role and influential mechanism of PEG1000 were analyzed.

Three-liquid-phase extraction and separation of V(V) and Cr(VI) from acidic leach solutions of high-chromium vanadium–titanium magnetite

A new method by liquid–liquid–liquid three phase system, consisting of acidified primary amine N1923(abbreviated as A-N1923), poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG) and (NH_4)_2SO_4 aqueous solution, was suggested for the separation and simultaneous extraction of V(V) and Cr(VI) from the acidic leach solutions of highchromium vanadium–titanium magnetite. Experimental results indicated that V(V) and Cr(VI) could be selectively enriched into the A-N1923 organic top phase and PEG-rich middle phase, respectively, while Al(III)and other co-existing impurity ions, such as Si(IV), Fe(III), Ti(IV), Mg(II) and Ca(II) in acidic leach solutions,could be enriched in the(NH_4)_2SO_4 bottom aqueous phase. During the process for extraction and separation of V(V) and Cr(VI), almost all of impurity ions could be removed. The separation factors between V(V) and Cr(VI) could reach 630 and 908, respectively in the organic top phase and PEG middle phase, and yields of recovered V(V) and Cr(VI) in the top phase and middle phase respectively were all above 90%.Various effects including aqueous p H, A-N1923 concentration, PEG added amount and(NH_4)_2SO_4 concentration on three-phase partitioning of V(V) and Cr(VI) were discussed. It was found that the partition of Cr(VI) into the PEG-rich middle phase was driven by hydrophobic interaction, while extraction of V(V) by A-N1923 resulted of anion exchange between NO_3^- and H_2V_(10)O_(28)^(-4). Stripping of V(V) and Cr(VI) from the top organic phase and the middle PEG-rich phase were achieved by mixing respectively with NaNO_3 aqueous solutions and Na OH-((NH_4)_2SO_4 solutions. The present work highlights a new approach for the extraction and purification of V and Cr from the complex multi-metal co-existing acidic leach solutions of high-chromium vanadium–titanium magnetite.

Upgrading of Yi'an gas coal by low temperature pyrolysis under different atmospheres

The quality of Yi'an gas coal before and after low temperature upgrading under either a N 2 or H 2 atmosphere was examined by thermogravimetric and infrared analyses. The effect of upgrading on the prepared coke quality was analyzed. The results show that the carboxyl and phenolic hydroxyls in the coal molecular structure are removed after upgrading by low temperature pyrolysis under either N 2 or H 2 atmospheres. This improves coal caking properties to a certain extent. The upgrading effect under a H 2 atmosphere is remarkably better than the effect observed after upgrading under N 2 . Compared to coke obtained from raw coal, the compressiveand micro-strength of the cokes obtained from upgraded coal are greatly improved. The effect on coke reactivity with CO 2 is not significant. The best upgrading temperature for Yi'an gas coal under either a Nor H atmosphere is 250 or 275 °C respectively.

Development of a Fuel-flexible Co-gasification Technology

As one of promising clean coal technologies used to reduce pollutant emission and CO2 discharge, cogasification has been extensively investigated. In this paper, a new co-gasification technology using coal and natural gas was developed. The distinct advantages of this technology are the excellent fuel flexibility and the availability to establish the gasifler by reconstructing the blast furnace or similar shaft furnace. Based on the concept of the new co-gasification technology, lab-scale experiments and modeling study were carried out. The obtained results indicate that gasification is undertaken at ideal thermodynamic environment where quasi-equilibrium could be reached without catalysts. The modeling results are in agreement with experimental data, demonstrating the validity of the model and that Aspen Plus is a useful tool for the analysis of the co-gasification process. Furthermore,the effect of major operation parameters, including oxygen flow rate and steam flow rate, on co-gasification process was investigated using the developed model.

A novel constant interfacial area cell for determining the extraction kinetics of Er(Ⅲ) from chloride medium

A novel constant interfacial area cell(NCIAC),by spatially separating the agitation from liquid flow circulation of organic and aqueous two phases,was suggested to obtain detailed kinetic data for Er(Ⅲ) extraction from chloride medium by 2-ethyl-hexyl-phosphonic acid mono-(2-ethylhexyl) ester(EHEHPA).Different from the traditional Lewis cell and the constant interfacial area cell with laminar flow,the concentrations of Er(Ⅲ) in organic and aqueous two phases were uniform,and the stability of the interfacial area between the two phases could be controlled effectively.Therefore,the special requirements for the design of agitators in the traditional Lewis cell and the constant interfacial area cell for minimizing the influence of diffusion resistance could be avoided.Experimental results indicated that the extraction kinetics was mainly affected by the aqueous flow rate,interfacial area between organic and aqueous two phases,and the aqueous p H values.An extraction kinetic equation was suggested based on the experimental data.

Quantifying growth and breakage of agglomerates in fluid-particle flow using discrete particle method

The cohesive solids in liquid flows are featured by the dynamic growth and breakage of agglomerates, and the difficulties in the development, design and optimization of these systems are related to this significant feature.In this paper, discrete particle method is used to simulate a solid–liquid flow system including millions of cohesive particles, the growth rate and breakage rate of agglomerates are then systematically investigated. It was found that the most probable size of the agglomerates is determined by the balance of growth and breakage of the agglomerates the cross point of the lines of growth rate and breakage rate as a function of the particle numbers in an agglomerate, marks the most stable agglomerate size. The finding here provides a feasible way to quantify the dynamic behaviors of growth and breakage of agglomerates, and therefore offers the possibility of quantifying the effects of agglomerates on the hydrodynamics of fluid flows with cohesive particles.

Progress of vanadium phosphorous oxide catalyst for n-butane selective oxidation

The utilization of lighter alkanes into useful chemical products is essential for modern chemistry and reducing the CO_(2)emission.Particularly,n-butane has gained special attention across the globe due to the abundant production of maleic anhydride(MA).Vanadium phosphorous oxide(VPO)is the most effective catalyst for selective oxidation of n-butane to MA so far.Interestingly,the VPO complex exists in more or less fifteen different structures,each one having distinct phase composition and exclusive surface morphology and physiochemical properties such as valence state,lattice oxygen,acidity etc.,which relies on precursor preparation method and the activation conditions of catalysts.The catalytic performance of VPO catalyst is improved by adding different promoters or co-catalyst such as various metals dopants,or either introducing template or structural-directing agents.Meanwhile,new preparation strategies such as electrospinning,ball milling,hydrothermal,barothermal,ultrasound,microwave irradiation,calcination,sol-gel method and solvothermal synthesis are also employed for introducing improvement in catalytic performance.Research in above-mentioned different aspects will be ascribed in current review in addition to summarizing overall catalysis activity and final yield.To analyze the performance of the catalytic precursor,the reaction mechanism and reaction kinetics both are discussed in this review to help clarify the key issues such as strong exothermic reaction,phosphorus supplement,water supplement,deactivation,and air/n-butane pretreatment etc.related to the various industrial applications of VPO.

Numerical simulation of stirred tanks using a hybrid immersed-boundary method

Conventionally, multiple reference frame(MRF) method and sliding mesh(SM) method are used in the simulation of stirred tanks, however, both methods have limitations. In this study, a hybrid immersed-boundary(IB)technique is developed in a finite difference context for the numerical simulation of stirred tanks. IBs based on Lagrangian markers and solid volume fractions are used for moving and stationary boundaries, respectively, to achieve optimal efficiency and accuracy. To cope with the high computational cost in the simulation of stirred tanks, the technique is implemented on computers with hybrid architecture where central processing units(CPUs) and graphics processing units(GPUs) are used together. The accuracy and efficiency of the present technique are first demonstrated in a relatively simple case, and then the technique is applied to the simulation of turbulent flow in a Rushton stirred tank with large eddy simulation(LES). Finally the proposed methodology is coupled with discrete element method(DEM) to accomplish particle-resolved simulation of solid suspensions in small stirred tanks. It demonstrates that the proposed methodology is a promising tool in simulating turbulent flow in stirred tanks with complex geometries.

Crystallization behavior of zeolite beta from acid-leached metakaolin

Well-crystallized zeolite beta was synthesized by using acid-leached metakaolin as the silica-alumina source and tetraethylammonium hydroxide structure-directing agent.The influence of the composition of the reaction mixture on product crystallinity was investigated,and the crystallization process was studied by examining solid samples obtained at different synthesis times.Results showed that the acid-leached metakaolin was fully converted into soluble aluminum and silicon species,which is crucial for the formation of well-crystallized zeolite beta.At the beginning of the crystallization process,these soluble aluminum and silicon species formed a aluminum-rich intermediate structure with layer morphology.With the crystallization proceeding,more silicon species were incorporated into the zeolite beta framework and the layered structure was changed into spherical particles of zeolite beta with high SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ratio and crystallinity.

Simple Hydrostatic Model of Contact Angle Hysteresis of a Sessile Drop on Rough Surface

The phenomenon of hysteresis of contact angle is an important topic subject to a long time of argument.A simple hydrostatic model of sessile drops under the gravity in combination with an ideal surface roughness model is used to interpret the process of drop volume increase or decrease of a planar sessile drop and to shed light on the contact angle hysteresis and its relationship with the solid surface roughness. With this model, the advancing and receding contact angles are conceptually explained in terms of equilibrium contact angle and surface roughness only,without invoking the thermodynamic multiplicity. The model is found to be qualitatively consistent to experimental observations on contact angle hysteresis and it suggests a possible way to approach the hysteresis of three-dimensional sessile drops.

Integration of high-solid digestion and gasification to dispose horticultural waste and chicken manure

To realize full energy recovery from grass and chicken manure(CM), the integration of high-solid anaerobic digestion(HSAD) and gasification was investigated experimentally. The anaerobic biodegradability of grass can be enhanced through codigestion with CM. When the volatile solid(VS) ratio of CM to grass was 20:80, C/N ratio calculated to be 21.70, the cumulative biogas yield was the highest, 237 ml·(g VS)^(-1). The enhancement of biogas production was attributed to the buffering effects of ammonia and rich trace elements in CM. In semi-continuous systems, when the organic loading rate was 4.0 g VS·L^(-1)·d^(-1), the HSAD process was stable, with the average biogas yield 168 ml·(g VS)^(-1). More than 80% fractions of the digestates were volatile matters, which meant that the digestates can be used as feedstock for gasification to produce syngas. The VS ratio of grass to CM had significant overall energy generation through HSAD and gasification. Compared with gasification of digestate,cogasification with woodchips increased syngas yield and low heat value(LHV). Increasing of mass ratio of digestates to woodchips led to the decrease of LHV.

Effect of surface property on mass flux in a variable-section microchannel

For microfluidic systems, interfacial phenomena in micro-reactors are of great importance because they control the transfer and reaction characteristics. This paper dwells on how the surface property and geometry influence the mass flux in a complex microchannel. The lattice Boltzmann method(LBM) with a pseudo potential model and the Shan–Chen model for the interaction between fluid and hydrophobic surface were built up, so a boundary slip effect was added and verified. On this basis, a microchannel with variable-section geometry was simulated. The results indicate that the optimal design and the flow pattern are quite different under hydrophilic and hydrophobic conditions. A microchannel with sequential hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface was also simulated. The numerical results indicate that the hydrophobic wall can improve the mass flux, irrespective of microchannel geometry. Particularly, an empirical correlation with a linearly relationship between length of hydrophobic segment and mass flux was obtained for the straight microchannel.

Micromixing of a Two Phase System in a Stirred Tank with Multiple Impellers

The competitive iodide/iodate reaction scheme was used to ascertain the micromixing in the stirred solid-liquid systems. Two different glass beads from 450 to 1250 μm were tested. The effect of solid particles on reaction selectivity with multiple impellers at different feed points has been investigated. It was confirmed that glass beads as a second phase were suitable for the study. The segregation index has changed significantly only for the medium-sized particles at relatively high solid holdups. The cloud formation was clearly observed for the medium-sized particles at a concentration of 12.12 wt. %. When feeding into the clear liquid above the cloud, the value of the segregation index increased significantly. However, in the presence of particles of 1-1.25 mm, the influence on the selectivity was negligible when the agitation speed was increased.