Study Methodology

Data for this investigation come from 36 qualitative in-depth interviews completed between February and April 2010. The aim of the research was to conduct a process evaluation of Gateway Foundation programming for state probation and parole clients in St. Louis and jointly produce a final report for the organization. The specific research questions focused on (1) the challenges men face as they attempt to overcome substance abuse; (2) how those challenges are related to past experiences with crime, including offending and victimization; and (3) the effectiveness of Gateway programming, from the points of view of program participants, including whether there are any perceived differences between men who participate in the program post-incarceration versus in lieu of incarceration

Integrated methods for production of clean char and its combustion properties. Technical report, September 1, 1991--November 30, 1991

The overall objective of this two-year program is to produce clean char using an integrated process scheme which combines physical coal cleaning, mild gasification and char oxydesulfurization. Low sulfur chars which could be used in utility boilers to meet 1995 emission standards of 2.5 lbs DO{sub 2}/MMBtu are produced from Illinois coals having emissions of >5 lbs SO{sub 2}/MMBtu. Mild gasification and low temperature oxidation studies for sulfur removal are conducted with selected coals from the Illinois Basin Coal (IBC) Sample Program in a batch fixed-bed reactor at the ISGS. Pound quantities of chars for combustion testing are prepared in a continuous rotary kiln reactor under optimized conditions of mild gasification and oxydesulfurization. Burning characteristics and ash deposition behaviors of desulfurized chars are determined to ensure that a useable fuel is produced. These tests are done at the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center (UNDEERC) in a drop tube furnace (DTF), and at the US EPA in a 14 kW pilot-scale combustor. In some tests, methane is examined as an auxiliary fuel, and high-surface-area hydrated lime developed at ISGS is used to further reduce SO{sub 2} emissions. Complete analyses of the fuels are obtained to aid char desulfurization studies and help explain combustion and SO{sub 2} emission characteristics of the char. This project is a cooperative effort between the ISGS, UNDEERC and the US EPA and is cost-shared with US EPA and the US DOE through UNDEERC

Integrated methods for production of clean char and its combustion properties

The overall objective of this two-year program is to produce clean char using an integrated process scheme which combines physical coal cleaning, mild gasification and char oxydesulfurization. Low sulfur chars which could be used in utility boilers to meet 1995 emission standards of 2.5 lbs DO{sub 2}/MMBtu are produced from Illinois coals having emissions of >5 lbs SO{sub 2}/MMBtu. Mild gasification and low temperature oxidation studies for sulfur removal are conducted with selected coals from the Illinois Basin Coal (IBC) Sample Program in a batch fixed-bed reactor at the ISGS. Pound quantities of chars for combustion testing are prepared in a continuous rotary kiln reactor under optimized conditions of mild gasification and oxydesulfurization. Burning characteristics and ash deposition behaviors of desulfurized chars are determined to ensure that a useable fuel is produced. These tests are done at the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center (UNDEERC) in a drop tube furnace (DTF), and at the US EPA in a 14 kW pilot-scale combustor. In some tests, methane is examined as an auxiliary fuel, and high-surface-area hydrated lime developed at ISGS is used to further reduce SO{sub 2} emissions. Complete analyses of the fuels are obtained to aid char desulfurization studies and help explain combustion and SO{sub 2} emission characteristics of the char. This project is a cooperative effort between the ISGS, UNDEERC and the US EPA and is cost-shared with US EPA and the US DOE through UNDEERC

A new species of Megastigmus dalman (Hymenoptera: Torymidae) reared from seeds of atlantic white cedar (Cupressaceae), with notes on infestation rates

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Production and use of activated char for combined SO{sub 2}/NO{sub x} removal. Technical report, September 1--November 30, 1993

Carbon adsorbents have been shown to remove sulfur oxides from flue gas, and also serve as a catalyst for reduction of nitrogen oxides at temperatures between 80 and 150{degrees}C. The overall objective of this project is to determine whether Illinois coal is a suitable feed stock for the production of activated char which could be used as a catalyst for removal of SO{sub 2}/NO{sub x} from combustion flue gas, and to evaluate the potential application of the products in flue gas cleanup. Key production variables will be identified to help design and engineer activated char with the proper pore structure and surface chemistry. During this reporting period, a series of chats was prepared from an Illinois coal (IBC-102). A 48{times}100 mesh size fraction of IBC-102 coal was physically cleaned to reduce its ash content from 5.5 to 3.6%. The clean coal was pyrolyzed in a fluidized-bed reactor at 500, 700 and 900{degrees}C. The surface area and oxygen content of the char was varied either by oxidation in 10% O{sub 2} or by nitric acid treatment. Steam activation or chemical activation using potassium hydroxide was employed to enhance surface area development. Nitrogen BET surface areas of the chars ranged from 1 to 800 M{sup 2}/g

Production and use of activated char for combined SO{sub 2}/NO{sub x} removal. [Quarterly] technical report, December 1, 1993--February 28, 1994

During this reporting period, a thermogravimetric technique was developed to determine the kinetics of SO{sub 2} adsorption on a series of chars prepared from IBC-102 coal. Also, a temperature programmed desorption (TPD) method was developed to determine the nature and extent of carbon-oxygen (C-O) complexes formed on the surface of the char. An attempt was made to relate this information to observed SO{sub 2} adsorption behavior. An IBC-102 char prepared with an N{sub 2}-BET surface area of 10 m{sup 2}/g adsorbed significantly less SO{sub 2} than chars prepared with surface areas > 200 m{sup 2}/g. However, for chars with surface areas > 200 m{sup 2}/g, the amount of available surface area was not as important as the chemistry of the surface. A steam activated char adsorbed the most SO{sub 2}, comparable to the amount adsorbed by a commercial activated carbon. TPD performed on the steam activated char revealed the presence of CO-forming C-O complexes which were basic in nature. The other chars all contained significant amounts of more acidic CO{sub 2}-forming complexes. Because SO{sub 2} is an acid gas, a carbon adsorbent with a basic surface should adsorb more SO{sub 2}. To enhance SO{sub 2} adsorption, a novel char preparation method was devised to 2 create a basic surface with up to ten times more CO-forming C-O complexes than formed by steam activation

Integrated methods for production of clean char and its combustion properties. Interim final technical report, September 1, 1992--August 31, 1993

The feasibility of using an integrated method consisting of physical coal cleaning, mild gasification (MG) and low temperature oxidation (LTO) to produce chars with SO{sub 2} emissions at least 50% lower than those of their parent coals was studied. MG and LTO studies were conducted in both a batch fluidized-bed reactor (FBR) and in continuous feed reactors. Combustion properties of coal-char blends were determined at the US EPA in a 14 kW pilot-scale combustor and ash deposition behaviors of selected fuels were determined at UNDEERC in a drop tube furnace (DTF) . This project was cost-shared with the US EPA and the US DOE through UNDEERC. MG chars were prepared from six different coals in the FBR. Under non-optimized conditions, desulfurized chars with SO{sub 2} emissions 60--71% lower than the parent coals were made, depending on the coal. Chars prepared from four of the six coals had SO{sub 2} emissions less than 2.5 lbs SO{sub 2}/MMBtu. Treatment of a high chlorine coal reduced its chlorine content over 93%. Optimization of process conditions revealed that the greatest reduction in SO{sub 2} emissions was obtained using smaller particle diameters, steam during both MG and LTO, a higher temperature and higher oxygen partial pressure. For the only coal tested under optimized conditions, SO{sub 2} emissions were reduced nearly 67%, from 4.60 to 1.49 lbs SO{sub 2}/MMBtu. Over 150 pounds of chars were prepared in the continuous feed reactors. A total of about 350 pounds of different coal-char blends were prepared for tests at the US EPA. These tests were completed July 31 and the results are currently being analyzed. Results of ash deposition tests at UNDEERC will be available for the final report