Solidification/stabilisation of electric arc furnace waste using low grade MgO

This study aims to evaluate the potential of low grade MgO (LGMgO) for the stabilisation/solidification (S/S) of heavy metals in steel electric arc furnace wastes. Relevant characteristics such as setting time, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and leaching behaviour assessed by acid neutralisation capacity (ANC), monolithic and granular leaching tests were examined in light of the UK landfill Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) for disposal. The results demonstrated that all studied mix designs with Portland cement type 1 (CEM1) and LGMgO, CEM1-LGMgO 1:2 and 1:4 at 40% and 70% waste addition met the WAC requirements by means of UCS, initial and final setting times and consistence. Most of the ANC results met the WAC limits where the threshold pH values without acid additions were stable and between 11.9 and 12.2 at 28 d.Granular leaching results indicate fixation of most of the metals at all mix ratios. An optimum ratio was obtained at CEM1-LGMgO 1:4 at 40% waste additions where none of the metals leaching exceeded the WAC limits and hence may be considered for landfill disposal.The monolithic leaching test results showed that LGMgO performed satisfactorily with respect to S/S of Zn, as the metal component present at the highest concentration level in the waste exhibited very little leaching and passed the leaching test requirement at all mix ratios studied. However, its performance with respect to Pb, Cd and Cr was less effective in reducing their leaching suggesting a higher cumulative rate under those leaching regimes.     

Remediation of metal contaminated soil with mineral-amended composts

This study examined the use of two composts derived from green waste and sewage sludge, amended with minerals (clinoptilolite or bentonite), for the remediation of metal-contaminated brownfield sites to transform them into greenspace. Soils contaminated with high or low levels of metals were mixed with the mineral-enhanced composts at different ratios and assessed by leaching tests, biomass production and metal accumulation of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). The results showed that the green waste compost reduced the leaching of Cd and Zn up to 48% whereas the composted sewage sludge doubled the leachate concentration of Zn. However, the same soil amended with composted sewage sludge showed an efficient reduction in plant concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb or Zn by up to 80%. The results suggest that metal immobilisation and bioavailability are governed by the formation of complexes between the metals and organic matter. The amendment with minerals had only limited effects.     

Comparison of modified montmorillonite adsorbents. Part I: Preparation,characterization and phenol adsorption

This study concerns with the development of modified montmorillonites as adsorbents for water treatment. Polymeric aluminium and iron intercalated forms of montmorillonites have been prepared in the absence and presence of an alkylammonium cationic surfactant (Hexdecyl-trimethyl-ammonium bromide, HDTMA). Montmorillonites intercalated with polymeric Al, Fe, Fe/Al (2:1 Fe to Al ratio in solution), possess large N2 Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas. XRD data also shows trace amounts of illite and plagioclase within the clay materials. Montmorillonites intercalated with HDTMA, polymeric Fe/HDTMA, polymeric Al/HDTMA and polymeric Fe/Al/HDTMA (1:1 metal to surfactant molar ratio in solution) undergo some losses of N2 BET surface areas. Preliminary adsorption studies on phenol have shown that polymeric Al/HDTMA- and HDTMA-only-modified montmorillonites possess a good affinity for phenol, whereas the polymeric Al/Fe modified- and starting montmorillonites have little affinity for phenol adsorption.     

Green supply chain management in the chemical industry: structural framework of drivers

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) is to improve the quality of supply chain management strategies and environmental performance. As per current statistics, the chemical industry is growing fast in Bangladesh. In order to compete for global competition, GSCM is essential in this sector. This paper proposes a systematic approach of structural framework whose aim is to enhance the probability of constructive implementation of GSCM in the field chemical industry in Bangladesh. Therefore, this framework evaluates the appropriate interrelationship along with the drivers of GSCM in the chemical industry. In total, eight drivers were finalized from an associated literature review with the help of survey and by taking expert opinions via the Delphi methodology. In addition to MICMAC analysis, the driving and the dependence powers for all the drivers were determined. Moreover, the structural frameworks for the drivers were developed by means of total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) technique. As a result, the findings indicate that the most significant driver was supplier pressure and willingness and the most important barrier was high cost. Finally, the main objective of this research is expected to help industrial managers to evaluate and understand the critical areas where they should emphasize to implement GSCM in the chemical industry.     

Mechanistic insight into pyrene removal by natural sepiolites

This paper investigates the sorption characteristics and mechanisms of pyrene onto two types of natural sepiolite-brown (B-Sep) and white (W-Sep). The effects of relevant properties such as clay content, surface area, pore diameter and volume, divalent cations, and organic carbon content were investigated by single component batch adsorption systems. The results suggest that pyrene has high affinity for both sepiolite and its sorption behavior could be mainly affected by exchangeable strongly hydrated cations such as Ca²⁺ and H₂O in the zeolite-like channels and by open channel defects (OCD) structures but no so much by the large number of Si-OH groups located on the sepiolite’s basal surfaces. Mesoporosity rather than surface area largely controls the sorption capacity and intensity of both sepiolites. This is shown by the increase in pore volume that exhibited the greatest increase in BET surface area. Particle size and morphological changes of both sepiolites following pyrene adsorption determined by FE-SEM showed that the sepiolite fibers are much longer than their widths, which are only several laths (several nanometers). This is a result of growth, mostly along the c-axis, at the expense of the diffusion of pyrene molecules through aqueous solution. As a consequence, a significant fibrous morphology is produced following the adsorption of pyrene by both sepiolites.     

Silver-modified clinoptilolite for the removal of Escherichia coli and heavy metals from aqueous solutions

This paper investigates the potential of using the silver antibacterial properties combined with the metal ion exchange characteristics of silver-modified clinoptilolite to produce a treatment system capable of removing both contaminants from aqueous streams. The results have shown that silver-modified clinoptilolite is capable of completely eliminating Escherichia coli after 30-min contact time demonstrating its effectiveness as a disinfectant. Systems containing both E. coli and metals exhibited 100 % E. coli reduction after 15-min contact time and maximum metal adsorption removal efficiencies of 97, 98, and 99 % for Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Zn²⁺ respectively after 60 min; 0.182–0.266 mg/g of metal ions were adsorbed by the zeolites in the single- and mixed-metal-containing solutions. Nonmodified clinoptilolite showed no antibacterial properties. This study demonstrated that silver-modified clinoptilolite exhibited high disinfection and heavy metal removal efficiencies and consequently could provide an effective combined treatment system for the removal of E. coli and metals from contaminated water streams.     

Microstructure of Portland cement pastes containing metal nitrate salts

In recent years, Backscattered Scanning Electron microscopy techniques (BSE), coupled with an image analysis system have been recognised as a powerful tool for quantitative analysis. This paper investigates the effect of metal additions (Ba, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr(III), Pb and Cd) to Portland cement to produce a solidified product which meets the durability criteria quantified by the ratio of hydrated products and porosity. In addition, other indicators of the progress of cement hydration such as the bulk density and evaporable water of the solidified products were also measured. Metal concentrations of 0.1 and 1% per weight of cement at a constant water/cement ratio of 0.4 were examined. The same measurements were conducted on control samples of different water/ cement ratio. The results have shown that the control samples at different W/C ratio showed consistent trend in residual cement porosity, density and evaporable water content. It also showed that low dosage of metal nitrate additions can reduce cement hydration by up to 50% and at the same time reduce the observable porosity. Overall, this work has shown that Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and image analysis are powerful tools and could be used to quantify the observable porosity and cement hydration in solidified systems.     

Effects of amended compost on mobility and uptake of arsenic by rye grass in contaminated soil

Arsenic poses a major environmental and human health problem because of its carcinogenic nature and effect on the ecosystem. Therefore, a cost effective and socially acceptable technique is needed for its remediation. The effect of different combinations of compost amended with zeolite and/or iron oxide (up to 20% w/w) was tested on a contaminated soil with high arsenic levels (34470 mg kg(-1)). The bioavailability of arsenic was determined in terms of uptake by rye grass (Lolium perenne L.) under greenhouse experimental conditions. The results indicated that the arsenic concentrations in the rye grass was reduced to 2 mg kg(-1) dry weight by using 15% compost with 5% iron oxide and 15% compost with 5% zeolite. Less than 0.01% of the total arsenic content in the soil was being taken up by the plants. Both treatments were effective in establishing significantly higher plant growth on the contaminated soil compared to other treatments. The results from sequential extraction tests indicated that in all the compost-amended soils, there was a reduction in the soluble fraction (10-37%). Arsenic in soil was examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results indicated that arsenic was distributed mostly within the matrix of iron and oxygen in treated samples. Amongst various treatment mixtures tested, high percent of compost (15%) with zeolite (5%) and/or iron oxide (5%) is effective in reducing arsenic uptake by plants and establish re-vegetation on the contaminated soil.