Removal of hazardous dye congored from waste material

The present paper is aimed to investigate and develop cheap adsorption methods for color removal from wastewater using waste material sawdust as adsorbent. Sawdust, a biosorbent, was successfully utilized in removing a water soluble azo dye, congored from wastewater. The paper incorporates effect of pH, temperature, amount of adsorbent, contact time, concentration of adsorbate, particle size on adsorption. Specific rate constants of the processes were calculated by kinetic measurements and a first order adsorption kinetics was observed in each case. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models were then applied to calculate thermodynamics parameters as well as to suggest the plausible mechanism of the ongoing adsorption processes. In order to observe the quality of wastewater COD measurements were also carried out before and after the treatments. A significant decrease in the COD values was observed, which clearly indicates that adsorption method offer good potential to remove congored from wastewater.     

Electrocoagulation treatment of black liquor from paper industry

The procedure of electrocoagulation is an effective, fast and economic technique for treatment of black liquor resulting from paper industry. The effect of electrolysis time, current density, type of electrode material and initial pH were studied in an attempt to achieve a higher removal capacity. Under the optimal experimental conditions (initial pH 7, t=50 min and J=14 mA cm(-2)), the treatment of black liquor by electrocoagulation has led to a removal capacity of 98% of COD, 92% of polyphenols and 99% of color intensity with a good repeatability (R.S.D.<3%) making it possible to highlight the industrial interest of this electrochemical process.     

Thermal treatment of the fly ash from municipal solid waste incinerator with rotary kiln

Reuse of the fly ash from the municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) is a policy of Taiwan EPA. However, the fly ash is often classified as a hazardous waste and cannot be reused directly because the concentrations of heavy metals exceed the TCLP regulations. The main objective of this study is to investigate the continuous sintering behavior of fly ash with a rotary kiln and seek a solution to reduce the concentrations of heavy metal to an acceptable value. The partitions of the heavy metals in the process are also considered. The results of TCLP showed that among the metals of Cr, Cd, Cu and Pb, only the concentrations of Pb in raw fly ash exceeded the regulation. At sintering temperatures of 700, 800 and 900 degrees C, the concentration of Pb decreased in sintering products, however, the concentration of Pb still exceeded the limitation at 700 and 800 degrees C. Additionally, the water-washing was used to pre-treat the fly ash before sintering process. The washing treatment effectively reduced the leaching concentrations of Pb to agree the regulations. Therefore, water-washing followed by a sintering treatment is an available process for detoxifying the fly ash of MSWI.     

Thermal treatment and vitrification of boiler ash from a municipal solid waste incinerator

Boiler ash generated from municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerators is usually classified as hazardous materials and requires special disposal. In the present study, the boiler ash was characterized for the chemical compositions, morphology and microstructure. The thermal chemical behavior during ash heating was investigated with thermal balance. Vitrification of the ash was conducted at a temperature of 1400 degrees C in order to generate a stable silicate slag, and the formed slag was examined with chemical and mineralogical analyses. The effect of vitrification on the leaching characteristics of various elements in the ash was evaluated with acid leaching. The study shows that the boiler ash as a heterogeneous fine powder contains mainly silicate, carbonate, sulfates, chlorides, and residues of organic materials and heavy metal compounds. At elevated temperatures, the boiler ash goes through the initial moisture removal, volatilization, decomposition, sintering, melting, and slag formation. At 1400 degrees C a thin layer of salt melt and a homogeneous glassy slag was formed. The experimental results indicate that leaching values of the vitrified slag are significantly reduced compared to the original boiler ash, and the vitrification could be an interesting alternative for a safer disposal of the boiler ash. Ash compacting, e.g., pelletizing can reduce volatilization and weight loss by about 50%, and would be a good option for the feed preparation before vitrification.     

Thermal behaviour of ESP ash from municipal solid waste incinerators

Stricter environmental regulations demand safer treatment and disposal of incinerator fly ashes. So far no sound technology or a process is available for a sustainable and ecological treatment of the waste incineration ashes, and only partial treatment is practised for temporary and short-term solutions. New processes and technology need to be developed for comprehensive utilization and detoxification of the municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerator residues. To explore the efficiency of thermal stabilisation and controlled vitrification, the thermal behaviour of electrostatic precipitator (ESP) ash was investigated under controlled conditions. The reaction stages are identified with the initial moisture removal, volatilisation, melting and slag formation. At the temperature higher than 1100 °C, the ESP ashes have a quicker weight loss, and the total weight loss reaches up to 52%, higher than the boiler ash. At 1400 °C a salt layer and a homogeneous glassy slag were formed. The effect of thermal treatment on the leaching characteristics of various elements in the ESP ash was evaluated with the availability-leaching test. The leaching values of the vitrified slag are significantly lowered than that of the original ash.     

强磁场作用下材料扩散型固态相变的微观机理

为探讨强磁场对物质原子尺度行为(电子运动、离子扩散)的影响,采用光学显微镜研究强磁场作用下Fe-0.12%C合金的扩散型固态相变;采用数字多用表测量强磁场作用下的纯铝板电阻研究其电子分布.结果表明:随磁感应强度增强,Fe-0.12%C合金室温显微组织中,铁素体晶粒平行于磁场方向伸长并呈链状排列的趋势增强,珠光体团的长轴方向平行于磁场方向伸长的程度也增强;纯铝板的电阻在平行于磁场方向放置时减小,垂直于磁场方向放置时电阻有增加趋势.这是由于组成金属晶体的自由电子和排列成晶格状的金属离子在磁场作用下受到洛伦兹力的作用,随磁感应强度增强,沿磁场方向的电子浓度、金属离子扩散有增强趋势,导致磁场作用下材料扩散型相变的室温组织出现形状各向异性.     

Relationships between solid waste management performance and environmental practice adoption in Welsh small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

For small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs), the determination of whether the adoption of environmentally supportive practices relates to good environmental performance has only been scarcely investigated. By using an empirical sample of 299 Welsh SMEs, this paper investigates just this issue. SMEs that have adopted five environmental practices and those that have not are compared as well as their environmental and economic performance using solid waste management activities. The results show that those organizations that have not adopted these practices perform better on environmental performance measures. The explanation, for what seems like a counterintuitive result, may be due to a reactive adoption of these practices to help mitigate poor performance on solid waste management practices. Additional insights and managerial implications are presented since these results will help identify methods to aid SMEs further in the adoption of environmentally supportive practices.     

Utilization of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash in blended cement Part 1: Processing and characterization of MSWI fly ash

This paper is the first of a series of two articles dealing with the processes applied to MSWI fly ash with a view to reusing it safely in cement-based materials. Part 1 presents two stabilization processes and Part 2 deals with the use of the two treated fly ashes (TFA) in mortars. Two types of binder were used: an Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) containing more than 95% clinker (CEM I 52.5R) and a binary blend cement composed of 70% ground granulated blast furnace slag and 30% clinker (CEM III-B 42.5N). In this first part, two stabilization processes are presented: the conventional process, called "A", based on the washing, phosphation and calcination of the ash, and a modified process, called "B", intended to eliminate metallic aluminum and sulfate contained in the ash. The physical, chemical and mineralogical characteristics of the two TFA were comparable. The main differences observed were those expected, i.e. TFA-B was free of metallic aluminum and sulfate. The mineralogical characterization of the two TFAs highlighted the presence of large amounts of a calcium aluminosilicate phase taking two forms, a crystalline form (gehlenite) and an amorphous form. Hydration studies on pastes containing mixed TFA and calcium hydroxide showed that this phase reacted with calcium hydroxide to form calcium aluminate hydrates. This formation of hydrates was accompanied by a hardening of the pastes. These results are very encouraging for the reuse of such TFA in cement-based materials because they can be considered as pozzolanic additions and could advantageously replace a part of the cement in cement-based materials. Finally, leaching tests were carried out to evaluate the environmental impact of the two TFAs. The elements which were less efficiently stabilized by process A were zinc, cadmium and antimony but, when the results of the leaching tests were compared with the thresholds of the European landfill directive, TFA-A could nevertheless be accepted at landfills for non-hazardous waste. The modifications of the process led to a significant reduction in the stabilization of chromium, selenium and antimony.     

Removal of As(V) and Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions using solid waste from leather industry

This study evaluated the feasibility of using a solid waste from the leather industry as an adsorbent for removal of Cr(VI) and As(V) from aqueous media. The adsorbent material was characterized by chemical analyses, infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) prior to reaction in order to assess its surface properties. Langmuir and Freundlich equations were used for analyzing the experimental data, which showed a better fit to the Langmuir model, thus suggesting a monolayer adsorption process in the surface of the adsorbent. The high amounts of Cr(VI)-133 mg g(-1) and As(V)-26 mg g(-1) adsorbed demonstrates the great potential for using this solid waste from the leather industry as a low-cost alternative to the traditionally used adsorbent materials.     

Leaching characteristics of slag from the melting treatment of municipal solid waste incinerator ash

This study investigated the composition and leaching characteristics of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) ash and slag. The modified slags were characterized after the melting of MSWI ash mixtures at 1400 degrees C for 30 min. The ash mixtures were composed of different types of MSWI ash, including cyclone ash, scrubber ash and bottom ash, in various proportions. The results indicate that the Cd leaching concentration of the cyclone ash and the Pb leaching concentration of the scrubber ash reached 1.82 and 8.7 mg/L, respectively, which exceeds the ROC EPA's current regulatory thresholds, and can thus be classified as hazardous. The results of the analysis of the metal content and the leaching behavior of heavy metals, showed high concentrations of Cu and Zn, but a low leaching ratio of these metals. Concerning the characteristics of the modified slags, the X-ray diffraction patterns of the MSWI fly ash slag showed that it contained large amounts of glass. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) leaching concentrations of the target metals of all the slags, met the ROC EPA's regulatory thresholds. The leaching concentrations of heavy metals in the F- and B1-slag were lower than those in the cyclone and the bottom ash, because there was a high amount of SiO(2), which formed a net-like structure in the bottom ash.     

Influence of calcium aluminate cement (CAC) on alkaline activation of red clay brick waste (RCBW)

In this paper, the effect of calcium aluminate cement (CAC) additions on the alkali activation of red clay brick waste (RCBW) was studied at room temperature and at 65 °C. RCBW was partially replaced with CAC (0–50 wt.%) and blends were activated with NaOH and sodium silicate solutions. The compressive strength evolution was tested on mortars and the nature of the reaction products was analysed by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, microscopic studies and pH measurements. The results show that the use of CAC accelerates the activation process of RCBW so that 50 MPa were obtained in the blended mortars containing 40 wt.% CAC cured for 3 days at room temperature. CAC did not undergo normal hydration and only the C₃AH₆ phase was identified in the pastes blended with more than 30 wt.% CAC and cured at 65 °C, while the main reaction product was a cementitious gel containing Ca and Al from CAC.     

Microcellular foams of thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) based on waste ground rubber tire powder

With the increased adoption of thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) in automotive weather seal systems, the foams of TPVs present an important milestone in providing key applications such as trunk and door seals. In this study, microcellular foams of TPV based on waste ground rubber tire powder (WGRT) were investigated. In order to investigate the relationship between processing conditions and structure of TPV foams, we first prepared the thermoplastic vulcanizates of PP-g-MA/WGRT, then the samples were saturated with carbon dioxide and the saturated specimens were expanded during the pressure-quench process. The results indicated that the microcellular structure was dependent on the processing conditions. Cell size increased with saturation temperature, whereas cell density and relative density decreased. Different nucleation processes were produced with saturation pressure.     

Adsorption isotherms, kinetics and column operations for the removal of hazardous dye, Tartrazine from aqueous solutions using waste materials--Bottom Ash and De-Oiled Soya, as adsorbents

Adsorbents, Bottom Ash (a power plant waste) and De-Oiled Soya (an agricultural waste) exhibit good efficacy to adsorb a highly toxic dye, Tartrazine. Through the batch technique equilibrium uptake of the dye is observed at different concentrations, pH of the solution, dosage of adsorbents and sieve size of adsorbents. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms are successfully employed on both the adsorbents and on the basis of these models the thermodynamic parameters are evaluated. Kinetic investigations reveal that more than 50% adsorption of dye is achieved in about 1h in both the cases, whereas, equilibrium establishment takes about 3-4h. The linear plots obtained in rate constant and mass transfer studies further confirm the applicability of first order rate expression and mass transfer model, respectively. The kinetic data treated to identify rate controlling step of the ongoing adsorption processes indicate that for both the systems, particle diffusion process is predominant at higher concentrations, while film diffusion takes place at lower concentrations. The column studies reveal that about 96% saturation of both the columns is attained during their exhaustion, while about 88 and 84% of the dye material is recovered by eluting dilute NaOH solution through exhausted Bottom Ash and De-Oiled Soya columns, respectively.     

Hydrothermal treatment of bottom ash from the incineration of municipal solid waste: retention of Cs(I), Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cr(III)

The retention of Cs+, Cd2+, Pb2+ and Cr3+ by the compounds formed as a result of the hydrothermal treatment of the bottom ash from the fluidized-bed incineration of municipal solid wastes is examined in this work. The amount of Cs+ retained and the distribution coefficient, Kd, were considerably lower than those for Cd2+, Pb2+ and Cr3+, independently of the type of compounds formed by the different bottom ash treatments. The high percentage of Cs+ retained (31%), with a Kd of 222 ml/g, occurred after treatment of the bottom ash in NaOH at 200 degrees C, where zeolite-type A (Na6[AlSiO4]6.4H2O) was the major compound, together with aluminum tobermorite (Ca5Si5Al(OH)O17.5H2O). In the case of Cd2+, Pb2+ and Cr3+, the amount retained was approximately 99% under all of the conditions studied.     

电渗析组合反渗透过程处理头孢氨苄酶法母液废水的研究

利用电渗析技术脱除头孢氨苄酶法母液废水中的盐分,研究了操作电压、浓缩室与淡化室流速比、温度等因素对电渗析脱盐过程的影响,并研究了反渗透膜法处理脱盐母液废水的膜通量变化趋势。实验结果表明,当淡化室、浓缩室流量均为500 L/h(流速比1∶1),操作电压为25 V,温度30℃时,电渗析在高效脱盐的同时具有理想的有机物截留率达99.50%以上,能耗3.65 kW.h/kg;反渗透膜法在处理脱盐母液废水时,膜通量衰减较慢,水回收率达到75.67%。实验结果表明,利用电渗析、反渗透组合工艺处理头孢氨苄酶法母液废水具有良好的可行性。     

Extraction of heavy metals from municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) bottom ash with organic solutions

Municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) bottom ash often cannot be recycled as construction material in Flanders, because leaching of Cu exceeds the limit value of 0.5mg/kg. Leaching of other components such as Mo and Sb is critical as well, but limit values for these elements are to date only informal. A treatment technique was investigated to lower pollutant leaching: extraction with solutions of organic complexants to remove Cu. Six different solutions were used, of which washing with citric acid and ammonium citrate decreases Cu leaching to below the limit value. Extraction was then performed with different concentrations of ammonium citrate. Subsequent washing of the extracted material with distilled water appears to be vital to remove all residual ammonium citrate. Extraction with a 0.2M solution of ammonium citrate followed by three washing steps decreases metal leaching to below the limit values.     

Hydrogen recovery from the thermal plasma gasification of solid waste

Thermal plasma gasification has been demonstrated as one of the most effective and environmentally friendly methods for solid waste treatment and energy utilization in many of studies. Therefore, the thermal plasma process of solid waste gasification (paper mill waste, 1.2 ton/day) was applied for the recovery of high purity H(2) (>99.99%). Gases emitted from a gasification furnace equipped with a nontransferred thermal plasma torch were purified using a bag-filter and wet scrubber. Thereafter, the gases, which contained syngas (CO+H(2)), were introduced into a H(2) recovery system, consisting largely of a water gas shift (WGS) unit for the conversion of CO to H(2) and a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit for the separation and purification of H(2). It was successfully demonstrated that the thermal plasma process of solid waste gasification, combined with the WGS and PSA, produced high purity H(2) (20 N m(3)/h (400 H(2)-Nm(3)/PMW-ton), up to 99.99%) using a plasma torch with 1.6 MWh/PMW-ton of electricity. The results presented here suggest that the thermal plasma process of solid waste gasification for the production of high purity H(2) may provide a new approach as a future energy infrastructure based on H(2).     

Biotoxicity assessment on reusability of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) ash

This study provides a first attempt of dose-response analysis and margin of safety using Escherichia coli DH5alpha, Bacillus subtilis as indicator microorganisms to put forward, in general terms and explanations, the toxicity rankings of various ashes of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) for feasibility in further applications. Since the MSWI ash often contains cations of Si, Ca, Al and Fe, it is frequently considered to be recycled for construction building-materials. Growth inhibition of E. coli DH5alpha occurred at concentrations over 0.156, 0.625 and 0.0195 g/L for bottom ash (BA), cyclone ash (CA), scrubber ash (SA), respectively, suggesting the toxicity ranking of SA>BA>CA. In contrast, except for SA (ca. 0.313 g/L), almost same inhibitory levels of ashes to cell growth were also observed in Bacillus subtilis. Evidently, biotoxicity responses were strongly dependent upon the characteristics of indicator microorganism. Based on DH5alpha, the margins of safety (MOS) were thus 0.195, 1.56 and 6.25 mg/L for SA, BA and CA, respectively. Nearly identical levels of MOS were also suggested by B. subtilis, except for SA (3.13 mg/L). Although MSWI residual ashes qualified EPA's standard test of Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), they might still contain other toxic residues (e.g., chloride ions and/or anions) to cause existing toxicity as indicated in this toxicity study.     

Understanding biotoxicity for reusability of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) ash

This feasibility study using Escherichia coli DH5alpha as a reporter microorganism tended to disclose toxicity ranking of various ashes of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) in comparison with typical toxic chemicals for reusability in further applications. Previous study indicated that growth inhibition to bacterial cells occurred at concentrations above 0.156, 0.625 and 0.0195g/L for bottom ash (BA), cyclone ash (CA), scrubber ash (SA), respectively, suggesting the toxicity ranking of SA>BA>CA. This follow-up study clearly stated that compared to cadmium(II) and chromium(II) SA seemed to be the most toxic species to DH5alpha. Large amounts of supplemented lime (CaO) were used for neutralization of acid gas in incinerator, SA was thus contained high-levels of sulfate, chloride and nitrate salts. Therefore, compared to other ashes a marked increase in toxicity was observed in SA. Regarding soluble cations and anions in ashes, nitrite ion seemed to stimulate instead of repress cell growth. In contrast, nitrate ion showed so-called "sufficient challenge" characteristics for growth enhancement and inhibition at low and high concentration, respectively. Low solubility of metallic ions (e.g., Pb(II) and Cu(II)) in ashes likely resulted in low mobility in the environment and low risk to humans. The findings showed that toxicity attenuation of SA will be inevitably required as SA is even more toxic than Cr(II) and Cd(II).