Geopolymers are a new class of materials that can be synthesized using natural minerals, and waste materials. Among these substrates, the use of fly ash is desirable as it involves the conversion of a copious waste material into a useful product. The aim of the research was geopolymers synthesis from coal fly ash and biomass ash. Concentrated sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate solutions were used as activators in geopolymerisation reaction. The results show that both coal fly ash and biomass ash can be utilized as source materials for the production of geopolymers. The surface morphology and chemical composition analysis were examined for the obtained geopolymers and ashes from coal and biomass combustion by SEM-EDS methods. It was found almost total disappearance of spherical forms of grains and reduction the porosity of structure for geopolymer based on fly ash from coal combustion. While the structure of the geopolymer based ash from biomass combustion is more porous. The UV-VIS-NIR spectra were performed on the coal fly ash, biomass ash and geopolymers. They showed that the obtained geopolymers possess optical and photocatalytic properties. The similarity of the geopolymer network and the zeolite framework in relation to ion exchange and accommodation of metal ions open questions on possibilities for the application of geopolymer materials as amorphous analogues of zeolite. The FT-IR spectra analyses were used on the geopolymers before and after metals sorption. It was found that geopolymer based on ash from biomass combustion has better sorption properties compared to geopolymer based on ash from coal combustion.
Strength and permeability properties along with microstructural evolution of hardened slurries composed of fly ash from fluidal bed combustion of brown coal and an addition of OPC/BFSC is assessed in this paper. An increase in the amount of fly ash in slurries influences the development of mechanical strength and a decrease of hydraulic conductivity. SEM, XRD, and porosity analyses confirmed formation of watertight microstructures. The structure of slurries is composed of ettringite, C-S-H phase, AFt, and AFm phases. Ettringite crystallises as relatively short needles forming compact clusters or intermixed with the C-S-H phase. The occurring C-S-H phases are mainly of type I – fibrous and type II – honeycomb
The article concerns fly ashes generated from the combustion of hard coal and deposited on landfills. Investigation results describing fly ash taken from a combustion waste landfill are presented in the article. The investigation results indicate a possibility for combusting the coal reclaimed by separation from the fly ash and utilizing the remaining fly ash fractions.
One of the elements of the Polish Energy Policy program is the development of renewable energy, including energy from biomass combustion. In Poland, the Green Block was built at the Połaniec Power Station fired with 100% biomass fuel. This solution is conducive not only to obtaining energy but also to improving environmental protection. During the combustion of biomass in a fluidized bed boiler, about 50 thousand tons of fly ash per year being a source of nutrients for plants, for example potassium salts, phosphorus, calcium, boron compounds, etc. was derived. The subject of the research were three types of ashes from biomass combustion containing 80% dendromass and 20% agromass. Agromas was made of straw, dried material or sliced palm nuts. The physical characteristics and chemical composition of three basic fly ash samples are presented. Due to the high fineness and thus dusting during spreading, it was found that there is no possibility of the direct use of fly ash from biomass combustion as an alkalizing agent for acidic soils. The lowest bulk density was demonstrated by samples of fly ash originating from the combustion of biomass containing 20% straw as agromass, while the poorest in potassium and phosphorus were ash samples obtained from the combustion of biomass containing 20% agromass in the form of palm kernel slate. As additional components, mineral acids as well as inorganic compounds, including industrial waste, were used to correct the chemical composition and to mineral fertilizer granulation. The number of introduced components was related to the postulated composition of the produced fertilizer. Examples of mineral fertilizers obtained, both simple and multicomponent fertilizers, are presented.
The aim of the work was to draw attention to the usefulness of the alkaline thermal activation process with sodium hydroxide in the process of rare earth metal leaching (REE), from fly ash with hydrochloric acid and nitric acid(V). The work is a part of the authors’ own research aimed at optimizing the REE recovery process coming from fly ash from hard coal combustion.
The article contains an assessment of the possibility of leaching rare earth metals (REE) from fly ash originating from the combustion of hard coal in one of the Polish power plants. The process was carried out for various samples consisting of fly ash and sodium hydroxide and for different temperatures and reaction times. The process was carried out for samples consisting of fly ash and sodium hydroxide containing respectively 10, 20 and 30% on NaOH by weight in relation to the weight of fly ash. Homogenization of these mixtures was carried out wet, and then they were baked at 408K, 433K and 473K, for a period of three hours. The mixture thus obtained was ground to a particle size of less than 0.1 mm and washed with hot water to remove excessive NaOH. The solid post-reaction residue was digested in concentrated HCl at 373K for 1 hour at a weight ratio fs/fc of 1:10. The results of chemical analysis and scanning microscopic analysis along with EDS analysis and X-ray analysis were used to characterize the physicochemical properties of the tested material.
The results indicated that REE recovery from fly ash strictly depends on heat treatment temperature with NaOH, and an increase in REE recovery from alkaline-activated fly ash along with increasing the amount of NaOH in relation to fly ash mass.
The durability characteristics of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) with various fibers such as polypropylene and glass were investigated in view of developing composites with high resistance to cracking. ECC offer large potential for durable civil infrastructure due to their high tensile strain capacity and controlled micro-crack width. In this study, fibre volume fractions (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%) of both polypropylene and glass fibers varied and durability measures such as a rapid chloride penetration test, sorptivity, water absorption, acid attack, and sulphate attack were measured. Increasing the fiber content up to 1.5% improved the durability properties of ECC. The test results indicate that the glass fiber-reinforced Engineered Cementitious Composites have better durability characteristics than polypropylene fiber-reinforced ECC.
The problem of of the use of fly ash still constitutes a research and exploration area for scientists. This is due to the fact that, 6,000,000 Mg of coal combustion by-products (CCB) are storage on landfills yearly in Poland alone. One of the potential directions of using fly ash is to use it as a substrate in hydrothermal syntheses of mesoporous materials (synthetic zeolites). Zeolites are aluminosilicates with a spatial structure. Due to their specific structure they are characterized by a number of specific properties among others molecular-sieve, ion-exchange and catalytic that can be used in engineering and environmental protection. So far, the synthesis has been carried out using coal combustion by-products such as fly ash or microsphere. The article analyzes whether separation from the fly ash of the appropriate fraction (below 63 μm) will affect the formation of zeolite grains. The syntheses were carried out using class F fly ash and the fraction separated from it, which was obtained by sieving the ash through a 63 μm sieve. Chemical (XRF) and mineralogical (XRD, SEM-EDS) analyzes were carried out for substrates as well as the obtained reaction products. In the case of substrates, the analysis did not show any significant differences between the ash and the separated fraction. However, in products after synthesis (Na-X zeolite with a small amount of Na-P1 zeolite, and small amounts of quartz and unreacted aluminosilicate glass - mullite) higher aluminum and sodium contents were observed from the separated fraction, with a lower calcium and potassium content. A small proportion of illite was observed on the diffraction curve of the zeolite from the fraction. Observations of grain morphology showed no differences in formation. Based on the conducted analyzes, it can be stated that, considering the economics of the synthesis process, the separation of fine fractions from the fly ash does not affect the quality of the synthesis process.
The reduction of mercury emissions in currently existing coal-based power plant solutions by each method i.e. preliminary, primary and secondary (consisting of introducing coal into the combustion chamber and then removing mercury from the combustion gases arising from the combustion process) does not solve the problem of achieving the required limits by power plants. Therefore, the need has arisen to look for new, effective solutions.
The results presented in the work concern the analysis of environmental benefits for the use of zeolites obtained from by-products of coal combustion such as fly ash (from hard coal and lignite) in technologies for removing gaseous forms of mercury. The tested zeolites were silver-modified X-type structures. The reference material in the considerations was active carbon impregnated with bromine – a commercially available sorbent on the market.
The article considers environmental benefits resulting from the use of tested zeolites taking the product life cycle, sorbent efficiency and the possibility of its regeneration compared to activated carbon (AC/Br) into account. The LCA analysis was performed taking the estimated material and energy balances of the manufacturing processes into account. When comparing the production process of type X zeolite materials on the processing line and activated carbons in the amount necessary to capture 375 g Hg from exhaust gases, the LCA analysis showed that zeolites contribute to a lower potential impact on the environment. The advantage is that 5 times less zeolite sorbent than activated carbons is needed to capture the same amount of mercury. In addition, zeolite materials can be regenerated, which extends their life time
Fly ash which has been separated from the flue gas stream as a result of fossil fuels combustion constitutes a huge amount of waste generated worldwide. Due to environmental problems, many directions of their rational use have been developed. Various attempts to convert fly ash into sorption materials, mainly synthetic zeolites, are conducted successfully. In this paper, an attempt was made to convert fly ash from lignite combustion from one of the Polish power plants, using alkaline hydrothermal synthesis. The primary phases in the fly ash were: quartz, gehlenite, mullite, hematite, feldspar, lime, anhydrite, occasionally grains of ZnO phase and pyrrhotite, glass and unburned fuel grains. As a result of hydrothermal synthesis a material containing new phases – pitiglianoite and tobermorite was obtained. Among the primary ash constituents, only gehlenite with an unburned organic substance, on which tobermorite with crystallized pitiglianoite was present. As a result of detailed testing of products after synthesis, it was found that among the tested grains:
• two populations can be distinguished – grains containing MgO and Fe2O3 as well as grains
containing Fe2O3 or MgO or containing none of these components,
• the main quantitative component was pitiglianoite,
• pitiglianoite was present in larger amounts in grains containing Fe2O3 or MgO or in the absence of both components than in grains in which Fe2O3 and MgO were found.
The results of the study indicate that in post-synthesis products, the contribution of components were as follows: pitiglianoite – 39.5% mas., tobermorite – 54% mas., gehlenite – 3% mas. and organic substance – 3.5% mas.
The aim of this research was to assess the content and composition of the pollutants emitted by domestic central heating boilers equipped with an automatic underfeed fuel delivery system for the combustion chamber. The comparative research was conducted. It concerned fuel properties, flue gas parameters, contents of dust (fl y ash) and gaseous substances polluting the air in the flue gases emitted from a domestic CH boiler burning bituminous coal, pellets from coniferous wood, cereal straw, miscanthus, and sunflower husks, coniferous tree bark, and oats and barley grain. The emission factors for dust and gaseous air pollutants were established as they are helpful to assess the contribution of such boilers in the atmospheric air pollution. When assessing the researched boiler, it was found out that despite the development in design and construction, flue gases contained fly ash with a significant EC content, which affected the air quality.
The paper presents investigation results of the migration of a chemical compound contained in fly ash deposited on a dry furnace waste landfill site exposed to weather conditions. Climate conditions are able to significantly affect chemical component distribution in a block of deposited, moving chemical compounds to different depths. The main aim of the investigations was to determine the chemical component distribution of deposited fly ash in the landfill. Identification of chemical components based on XRF analysis indicated the existence of differences in both tested storage layer and the fraction of fly ash.
The paper describes the results of various actions and industrial tests conducted in order to decrease the content of unburned carbon in the fly ash of a circulating fluidised bed combustor (CFBC). Several attempts to improve the situation were made and the effects of several parameters on the unburned carbon content in the fly ash were investigated (e.g. bed temperature, cyclone separation efficiency, fuel particle size distribution, boiler hydrodynamics, grid design, and fuel data). Unfortunately, no satisfactory solution to these problems was found. Probably, apart from attrition and char fragmentation, additional factors also contributed to the formation of unburned carbon in the CFBC fly ash.
The study investigates chemical modifications of coal fly ash (FA) treated with HCl or NH4HCO3 or NaOH or Na2edta, based on the research conducted to examine the behaviour of Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions adsorbed from water solution on treated fly ash. In laboratory tests, the equilibrium and kinetics were examined applying various temperatures (293 - 333 K) and pH (2 - 11) values. The maximum Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions adsorption capacity obtained at 293 K, pH 9 and mixing time 2 h from the Langmuir model can be grouped in the following order: FA-NaOH > FA-NH4HCO3 > FA > FA-Na2edta > FA-HCl. The morphology of fly ash grains was examined via small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and images of scanning electron microscope (SEM). The adsorption kinetics data were well fitted by a pseudo-second-order rate model but showed a very poor fit for the pseudofirst order model. The intra-particle model also revealed that there are two separate stages in the sorption process, i.e. the external diffusion and the inter-particle diffusion. Thermodynamics parameters such as free energy, enthalpy and entropy were also determined. A laboratory test demonstrated that the modified coal fly ash worked well for the Cd(II) and Pb(II) ion uptake from polluted waters.
Along with the increase in popularity of the sewage sludge thermal treatment methods in Poland
resulting from the implementation of European Union law, a management problem with ash, which is produced
as a result of this process, appeared. The paper analyses the chemical composition and physical properties of fl y
ash from thermal treatment of municipal sewage sludge in terms of its use in concrete technologies in relation to
EN 450-1 Fly ash for concrete. Defi nition, specifi cations and conformity criteria (2012) and EN 197-1 Cement.
Composition, specifi cations and conformity criteria for common cements (2011) standards. The tested material did
not meet the requirements related to use of fl y ash for concrete production (chemical composition, low activity
index, high water demand and fi neness), and as main and minor components for cement production. On the basis
of the carried out research and analyses, it was found that the hardening slurry technology creates the greatest
possibilities related to the management of fl y ash from thermal treatment of municipal sewage sludge.
The use of fly ash as a material for earth structures involves its proper compaction. Fly ash compaction tests have to be conducted on separately prepared virgin samples because spherical ash grains are crushed during compaction, so the laboratory compaction procedure is time-consuming and laborious. The aim of the study was to determine the neural models for prediction of fly ash compaction curve shapes. The attempt of applying the artificial neural networks type MLP was made. ANN inputs were new-created variables – principal components dependent on grain-size distribution (as D₁₀–D₉₀ and uniformity and curvature coefficients), compaction method, and fly ash specific density. The output vectors were presented by co-ordinates of generated compaction curve points. Each point (wᵢ, ρdi) was described by two independent ANNs. Using ANN-based modelling method, models which enable establishing the approximate compaction curve shape were obtained.
The cenospheres are formed during the mineral transformation stage in coal combustion. Their content in fly ashes from the combustion of different types of coals varies over a rather wide range from 0.01 to 35.6 wt.%. The cenospheres has three main elements, silicon, aluminium and iron, the oxides of which account for about 89% of the material. Mineralogical analysis using XRD shows that as-received cenospheres mainly contain mullite and quartz as main mineralogical phases. The size of cenospheres varies between 5 and 500 [...], as the most common dimension is 20-300 [...]. The cenospheres are characterized by a low bulk density (0.2-0.8 g/cm3) and can be easily separated by gravitational methods in the form of a concentrate in aqueous media or collected from a water surface of lagoons intended for storage of ash and slag waste. The unique properties of these hollow microspheres make them amenable for wide applications. For example the cenospheres can be used to produce various lightweight construction products, including lightweight cements and aggregates in lightweight concrete.