Characterization of Macerals in Coal Fines using Image Analysis Technique

Coal is an aggregate of heterogeneous substance consisting of various or aiiic cemsti-tnents so called nuacerals along with inorganic matter. These inacerals have been broadly classified into three major maceral groups i.e. vitrinite, exinite (liptinite) and inertinite. Coal-fines of size less than 0.5 mm, collected from Moonidih coal washery, was used in the present stud. These coal fines were subjected to size analysis and sink-float analysis. The products obtained at different size and density fractions were mounted in resin + hardener mixture using standard sample preparation technique and polished- The polished samples were examined tender- microscope inte-rfaced with image analyzer: Results indicate that size and density fractions have a significant influence on the changes in the maceral concentrations. The same has been discussed in terms of physical coal cleaning, process

A Photoelectrochemical cell for direct conversion of gaseous CO2 to self-growing graphenic carbon and hydrogenated carbon

Limiting anthropogenic climate change to below 2 °C is one of the key challenges of the 21st century. Climate models suggest this cannot be achieved without drastically affecting the global economy unless carbon removal technologies, which are able to reduce absolute content of CO2 in the atmosphere, are deployed. This thesis is aimed at developing a technology to convert CO2 directly from gas phase to a solid product using non-concentrated sun light, thereby moving beyond mimicking nature’s leaf, integrating millions of years of fossilization into a real-time process. In this thesis, a novel electrolyte-less photoelectrochemical cell for direct conversion of gaseous CO2 to solid carbon using earth abundant materials is conceptualized, designed, realized, and tested. It was found that the proposed PEC is able to convert CO2 to a self-growing graphenic material, when placed in an environment where gaseous CO2, gaseous H2O, and light at natural intensity coexist. The proposed PEC was extensively experimented under different atmospheres using unassisted and assisted photoelectrochemical and electrochemical techniques. The product of CO2 conversion reaction was characterized using optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, Laser profilometry, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and Time of Flight-Secondary Mass Spectroscopy. Extensive evidences were found confirming that CO2 was converted to a mixture of graphene and hydrogenated amorphous carbon which has self-growing properties through high sp2 carbon content and semiconducting properties. Furthermore, a reaction mechanism for such a conversion on the proposed PEC was suggested. Measures to improve performance of the developed PEC were suggested and deployed were possible

Degradation of thermal barrier coatings on an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) simulated film-cooled turbine vane pressure surface due to particulate fly ash deposition

Coal synthesis gas (syngas) can introduce contaminants into the flow of an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) industrial gas turbine which can form molten deposits onto components of the first stage of a turbine. Research is being conducted at West Virginia University (WVU) to study the effects of particulate deposition on thermal barrier coatings (TBC) employed on the airfoils of an IGCC turbine hot section. WVU had been working with U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to simulate deposition on the pressure side of an IGCC turbine first stage vane to study the effects on film cooling. To simulate the particulate deposition, TBC coated, angled film-cooled test articles were subjected to accelerated deposition injected into the flow of a combustor facility with a pressure of approximately 4 atm and a gas temperature of 1560 K. The particle characteristics between engine conditions and laboratory are matched using the Stokes number and particulate loading.;To investigate the degradation on the TBC from the particulate deposition, non-destructive evaluations were performed using a load-based multiple-partial unloading micro-indentation technique and were followed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evaluation and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) examinations. The micro-indentation technique used in the study was developed by Kang et al. and can quantitatively evaluate the mechanical properties of materials. The indentation results found that the Young\u27s Modulus of the ceramic top coat is higher in areas with deposition formation due to the penetration of the fly ash. The increase in the modulus of elasticity has been shown to result in a reduction of strain tolerance of the 7% yttria-stabilized zirconia (7YSZ) TBC coatings. The increase in the Young\u27s modulus of the ceramic top coat is due to the stiffening of the YSZ columnar microstructure from the cooled particulate fly ash. SEM evaluation was used to evaluate the microstructure of the layers within the TBC system, and the SEM micrographs showed that the TBC/fly ash deposition interaction zone made the YSZ coating more susceptible to delamination and promoted a dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism that changes the YSZ morphology and composition. EDS examination provided elemental maps which showed a shallow infiltration depth of the fly ash deposits and an elemental distribution spectrum analysis showed yttria migration from the YSZ top coating into the molten deposition. This preliminary work should lead to future studies in gas turbine material coating systems and their interaction with simulated fly ash and potentially CMAS or volcanic ash deposition

Environmentally Friendly Pervious Concrete for Treating Deicer-Laden Stormwater: Phase II

In Phase I of this project, graphene oxide (GO)-modified pervious concrete was developed using coal fly ash as the sole binder. The primary objectives of Phase II of this project were (1) to evaluate the stormwater infiltration capacity of GO-modified fly ash pervious concrete; (2) to evaluate the durability performance of GO-modified fly ash pervious concrete using freeze/thaw and salt resistance testing methods; and (3) to use advanced analytical tools to fully characterize the GO-modified fly ash binder. Test results indicate different degrees of reduction in concentrations of possible pollutants in stormwater—copper, zinc, sulphate, chloride, ammonia, nitrate, and total phosphate. The incorporation of GO significantly improved the resistance of pervious concrete to freeze/thaw cycles and ambient-temperature salt attack. The specimens were examined using X-ray diffraction, which revealed that the mineralogy and the chemical composition of fly ash pastes differ considerably from those of cement pastes. Nuclear magnetic resonance was used to study the chemical structure and ordering of different hydrates, and provided enhanced understanding of the freeze/thaw and salt scaling resistance of fly ash pervious concrete and the role of GO

High-temperature mechanical behavior of polycrystalline yttrium-doped barium cerate perovskite

The high-temperature mechanical properties of the mixed ionic-electronic conductor perovskite BaCe0.95Y0.05O3-δ with average grain size of 0.40μm have been studied in compression between 1100 and 1300°C in air at different initial strain rates. The true stress-true strain curves display an initial stress drop, followed by an extended steady-state stage. As the temperature decreases and/or the strain rate increases, there is a transition to a damage-tolerant strain-softening stage and eventually to catastrophic failure. Analysis of mechanical and microstructural data revealed that grain boundary sliding is the primary deformation mechanism. The strength drop has been correlated with the growth of ultrafine grains during deformation, already present at grain boundaries and triple grain junctions in the as-fabricated material.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación MAT2009-13979-C03-0

Accurate measurement of absolute experimental inelastic mean free paths and EELS differential cross-sections

Methods are described for measuring accurate absolute experimental inelastic mean free paths and differential cross-sections using DualEELS. The methods remove the effects of surface layers and give the results for the bulk materials. The materials used are VC0.83,TiC0.98,VN0.97and TiN0.88but the method should be applicable to a wide range of materials. The data were taken at 200 keVusing a probe half angle of 29mradand a collection angle of 36mrad. The background can be subtracted from under the ionisation edges, which can then be separated from each other. This is achieved by scaling Hartree-Slater calculated cross-sections to the edges in the atomic regions well above the threshold. The average scaling factors required are 1.00 for the non-metal K-edges and 1.01 for the metal L-edges (with uncertainties of a few per cent). If preliminary measurements of the chromatic effects in the post-specimen lenses are correct, both drop to 0.99. The inelastic mean free path for TiC0.98 was measured as 103.6±0.5 nm compared to the prediction of 126.9 nm based on the widely used Iakoubovskii parameterisation

Stress corrosion cracking of low pressure steam turbine blade and rotor materials

Stress corrosion cracking of a 14 wt% Cr martensitic stainless steel, with commercial names PH-15Cr5Ni, FV520B or X4CrNiCuMo15-5, used for the manufacture of low pressure turbine blades, has been studied with the intention of gaining a better understanding of the processes involved, how they occur and why. Industrially this is very important as stress corrosion cracking is considered to be a delayed failure process, whereby microscopic cracks can potentially propagate through a metal undetected until catastrophic failure occurs. The aim of this work is to establish links between crack length and external factors, such as exposure time, in order to devise a method of dating stress corrosion cracks and therefore predicting their possible occurrence in-service. [Continues.

Chemical composition and minerals in pyrite ash of an abandoned sulphuric acid production plant

The extraction of sulphur produces a hematite-rich waste, known as roasted pyrite ash, which contains significant amounts of environmentally sensitive elements in variable concentrations and modes of occurrence. Whilst the mineralogy of roasted pyrite ash associated with iron or copper mining has been studied, as this is the main source of sulphur worldwide, the mineralogy, and more importantly, the characterization of submicron, ultrafine and nanoparticles, in coal-derived roasted pyrite ash remain to be resolved. In this work we provide essential data on the chemical composition and nanomineralogical assemblage of roasted pyrite ash. XRD, HR-TEM and FE-SEM were used to identify a large variety of minerals of anthropogenic origin. These phases result from highly complex chemical reactions occurring during the processing of coal pyrite of southern Brazil for sulphur extraction and further manufacture of sulphuric acid. Iron-rich submicron, ultrafine and nanoparticles within the ash may contain high proportions of toxic elements such as As, Se, U, among others. A number of elements, such as As, Cr, Cu, Co, La, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Ti, Zn, and Zr, were found to be present in individual nanoparticles and submicron, ultrafine and nanominerals (e.g. oxides, sulphates, clays) in concentrations of up to 5%. The study of nanominerals in roasted pyrite ash from coal rejects is important to develop an understanding on the nature of this by-product, and to assess the interaction between emitted nanominerals, ultra-fine particles, and atmospheric gases, rain or body fluids, and thus to evaluate the environmental and health impacts of pyrite ash materials