SO(2) Removal from Flue Gases Using Uutility Synthesized Zeolites

Historically, sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) emissions were unregulated. As the environmental consequences of such emissions began to surface, increasingly stringent, federal and state government mandated pollution control requirements were imposed on the electric power generating industry. Coal burning utilities were forced to make one of two dioices. They could install flue gas scrubbing equipment or start to burn lower sulfur containing coal. The proposed research is directed at those utilities that have made the second choice, or utilities desiring to undertake new plant construction

Physical, Chemical and Structural Evolution of Zeolite - Containing Waste Forms Produced from Metakaolinite and Calcined HLW

During the seventh year of the current grant (DE-FG02-05ER63966) we completed an exhaustive study of cold calcination and began work on the development of tank fill materials to fill empty tanks and control residuals. Cold calcination of low and high NOx low activity waste (LAW) SRS Tank 44 and Hanford AN-107 simulants, respectively with metallic Al + Si powders was evaluated. It was found that a combination of Al and Si powders could be used as reducing agents to reduce the nitrate and nitrite content of both low and high NOx LAW to low enough levels to allow the LAW to be solidified directly by mixing it with metakaolin and allowing it to cure at 90 C. During room temperature reactions, NOx was reduced and nitrogen was emitted as N2 or NH3. This was an important finding because now one can pretreat LAW at ambient temperatures which provides a low-temperature alternative to thermal calcination. The significant advantage of using Al and Si metals for denitration/denitrition of the LAW is the fact that the supernate could potentially be treated in situ in the waste tanks themselves. Tank fill materials based upon a hydroceramic binder have been formulated from mixtures of metakaolinite, Class F fly ash and Class C flue gas desulphurization (FGD) ash mixed with various concentrations of NaOH solution. These harden over a period of hours or days depending on composition. A systematic study of properties of the tank fill materials (leachability) and ability to adsorb and hold residuals is under way

Manufacturing Brick from Attapulgite Clay at Low Temperature by Geopolymerization

International audienceGround to approximately 250-mesh size powder, attapulgite mining waste was mixed with different alkali concentrations (4, 8 and 12M NaOH) to form thick paste and statically compacted (~10 MPa). The samples were cured at 40 °C and 60 % RH for long-term storage (1 week-3 months) and at 120 °C and 0 % RH for short-term storage of varying periods of time (6, 12 and 24 h). This particular clay was characterized using a variety of techniques including physical (DTA, X-ray, laser granulometry, microstructure, PSD, etc.) and chemical analysis. The main minerals present are palygorskite, quartz, calcite and hematite. DTA/TGA curves resemble those obtained when a sample of kaolin is first heated and then cooled. When treated with 12 M-alkali solutions and cured for 7 days at 80 °C, the minerals present are montmorillonite, larnite, stilbite, dolomite and calcite. Palygorskite clay disappeared after the reaction. In long-term tests, strength did not increase with time for attapulgite clays activated with sodium hydroxide. For all concentrations and periods, the strength obtained with 8 M concentration was greater. In short-term tests, the maximum strength was obtained after 24 h for 12M concentrations. After 12 h of curing, alkali activation of attapulgite at 120 °C appears to be much more advantageous in terms of strength. The fiber structure of the attapulgite disappeared and was completely changed into one resembling plates. The low conductivity obtained suggests that the Na component of the 8 and 12 M brick reacts nearly completely

BUILDING MATERIALS MADE FROM FLUE GAS DESULFURIZATION BY-PRODUCTS

Flue gas desulphurization (FGD) materials are produced in abundant quantities by coal burning utilities. Due to environmental restrains, flue gases must be ''cleaned'' prior to release to the atmosphere. They are two general methods to ''scrub'' flue gas: wet and dry. The choice of scrubbing material is often defined by the type of coal being burned, i.e. its composition. Scrubbing is traditionally carried out using a slurry of calcium containing material (slaked lime or calcium carbonate) that is made to contact exiting flue gas as either a spay injected into the gas or in a bubble tower. The calcium combined with the SO{sub 2} in the gas to form insoluble precipitates. Some plants have been using dry injection of these same materials or their own Class C fly ash to scrub. In either case the end product contains primarily hannebachite (CaSO{sub 3} {center_dot} 1/2H{sub 2}O) with smaller amounts of gypsum (CaSO{sub 4} {center_dot} 2H{sub 2}O). These materials have little commercial use. Experiments were carried out that were meant to explore the feasibility of using blends of hannebachite and fly ash mixed with concentrated sodium hydroxide to make masonry products. The results suggest that some of these mixtures could be used in place of conventional Portland cement based products such as retaining wall bricks and pavers

A model for reactive porous transport during re-wetting of hardened concrete

A mathematical model is developed that captures the transport of liquid water in hardened concrete, as well as the chemical reactions that occur between the imbibed water and the residual calcium silicate compounds residing in the porous concrete matrix. The main hypothesis in this model is that the reaction product -- calcium silicate hydrate gel -- clogs the pores within the concrete thereby hindering water transport. Numerical simulations are employed to determine the sensitivity of the model solution to changes in various physical parameters, and compare to experimental results available in the literature.Comment: 30 page

Effect of temperature and aluminium on calcium (alumino)silicate hydrate chemistry under equilibrium conditions

There exists limited information regarding the effect of temperature on the structure and solubility of calcium aluminosilicate hydrate (C–A–S–H). Here, calcium (alumino)silicate hydrate (C–(A–)S–H) is synthesised at Ca/Si = 1, Al/Si ≤ 0.15 and equilibrated at 7–80 °C. These systems increase in phase-purity, long-range order, and degree of polymerisation of C–(A–)S–H chains at higher temperatures; the most highly polymerised, crystalline and cross-linked C–(A–)S–H product is formed at Al/Si = 0.1 and 80 °C. Solubility products for C–(A–)S–H were calculated via determination of the solid-phase compositions and measurements of the concentrations of dissolved species in contact with the solid products, and show that the solubilities of C–(A–)S–H change slightly, within the experimental uncertainty, as a function of Al/Si ratio and temperature between 7 °C and 80 °C. These results are important in the development of thermodynamic models for C–(A–)S–H to enable accurate thermodynamic modelling of cement-based materials

A thermodynamic model for C-(N-)A-S-H gel: CNASH_ss. Derivation and validation

The main reaction product in Ca-rich alkali-activated cements and hybrid Portland cement (PC)-based materials is a calcium (alkali) aluminosilicate hydrate (C-(N-)A-S-H) gel. Thermodynamic models without explicit definitions of structurally-incorporated Al species have been used in numerous past studies to describe this gel, but offer limited ability to simulate the chemistry of blended PC materials and alkali-activated cements. Here, a thermodynamic model for C-(N-)A-S-H gel is derived and parameterised to describe solubility data for the CaO–(Na2O,Al2O3)–SiO2–H2O systems and alkali-activated slag (AAS) cements, and chemical composition data for C-A-S-H gels. Simulated C-(N-)A-S-H gel densities and molar volumes are consistent with the corresponding values reported for AAS cements, meaning that the model can be used to describe chemical shrinkage in these materials. Therefore, this model can provide insight into the chemistry of AAS cements at advanced ages, which is important for understanding the long-term durability of these materials