Effects of chemical composition of fly ash on efficiency of metal separation in ash-melting of municipal solid waste

In the process of metal separation by ash-melting, Fe and Cu in the incineration residue remain in the melting furnace as molten metal, whereas Pb and Zn in the residue are volatilized. This study investigated the effects of the chemical composition of incineration fly ash on the metal-separation efficiency of the ash-melting process. Incineration fly ash with different chemical compositions was melted with bottom ash in a lab-scale reactor, and the efficiency with which Pb and Zn were volatilized preventing the volatilization of Fe and Cu was evaluated. In addition, the behavior of these metals was simulated by thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. Depending on the exhaust gas treatment system used in the incinerator, the relationships among Na, K, and Cl concentrations in the incineration fly ash differed, which affected the efficiency of the metal separation. The amounts of Fe and Cu volatilized decreased by the decrease in the molar ratio of Cl to Na and K in the ash, promoting metal separation. The thermodynamic simulation predicted that the chlorination volatilization of Fe and Cu was prevented by the decrease in the molar ratio, as mentioned before. By melting incineration fly ash with the low molar ratio in a non-oxidative atmosphere, most of the Pb and Zn in the ash were volatilized leaving behind Fe and Cu.     

Electron Microscope Observation of Biodegradation of Polymers

Biodegradable polymers generally decompose in the various media in our environments. These environments contain soils, seawater, and activated sludge. If biodegradable materials waste is discarded, they decompose in these media. The biodegradation process of biodegradable polymers was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Polycaprolactone, polybutylene succinate, and P(3HB-co-3HV) were tested. The shapes of holes on the decomposing surfaces are different according to the biodegradation media. Semispherical holes are observed on the surfaces of polybutylene succinate films degraded in activated sludge and cracks are observed on the surfaces of polycaprolactone films degraded in soil.     

Structure-biodegradation relationships of polymeric materials. 1. Effect of degree of oxidation on biodegradability of carbohydrate polymers

The biodegradability of oxidized starch and inulin has been studied in relation to the degree of periodate oxidation to dialdehyde derivatives, by measuring oxygen consumption and mineralization to carbon dioxide. A higher degree of oxidation of dialdehyde starch and dialdchyde inulin results in a lower rate at which the polymers are biodegraded. It is demonstrated that the biodegradation rate of dialdehyde inulin derivatives decreases more than that of equivalent starch derivatives. The differences in biodegradation behavior between dialdehyde starch and dialdehyde inulin, resulting from comparable modifications, are discussed in terms of conformational structure.     

Fundamental study of the behavior of chlorine during the combustion of single RDF

A fundamental study of the combustion characteristics and the de-HCl behavior of a single refuse-derived fuel (RDF) pellet was carried out to explain the de-HCl phenomena of RDF during fluidized bed combustion and to provide data for the development of high efficiency power generation technology using RDF. In this research, combustion and pyrolysis experiments were carried out in an electrical furnace using a series of model and actual RDF samples. The de-HCl capability of Ca(OH)2 in RDF was evaluated by measuring the emission fraction of HCl in the flue gas and the capture fraction of Cl in the residue. It was found that the capture fraction of Cl components in the residue increased from 0 to nearly 70% when the molar ratio of Ca/Cl was changed from 0 to around 13. Apparently, the capture fraction also decreased with increasing oxygen concentration in the feed gas. The devolatilization process of RDF was confirmed to be a very important part of de-HCl process. The effect of temperature profile of the RDF pellet on the de-HCl process, as it varies with the heating rate of RDF and the oxygen concentration in the vicinity of the sample, is discussed.     

Effects of temperature on the release of nutrient elements of solid organic materials under conditions of oversaturation

The effects of temperature on the release of chemical components of six solid organic materials under conditions of oversaturation were investigated in this paper. The six materials were peat moss (PM), weathered coals (WC), charred rice husks (CRH), sawdust (Sd), turfgrass clippings (TC), and chicken manure (CM). Significant differences were observed in the available nitrogen and phosphorus content of the aqueous extracts of organic materials at different temperatures. The available nitrogen content in aqueous extracts of PM and WC at 25 °C was higher than that registered at 15 °C and 35 °C. Available nitrogen content in the aqueous extracts of CRH, Sd, TC, and WC at 35 °C was higher than at 15 °C and 25 °C. The available phosphorus content in the aqueous extracts of organic materials at 35 °C was higher than that available at 15 °C and 25 °C, with the exception of Sd. In addition, the release of available phosphorus in the aqueous solution of organic materials at different temperatures varied constantly for 108 h. The release of potassium (K⁺) and sodium (Na⁺) ions in the aqueous extracts of organic materials was basically steady over time, with the exception of CM. High temperature (35 °C) may significantly hasten the release of K⁺ from organic substrates (except for WC) with low temperatures significantly inhibiting release of K⁺ in Sd and CRH. High temperatures (35 °C) might significantly facilitate the release of Na⁺ in CM and TC. However, no significant differences were manifested in the release of Na⁺ from organic substrates at different temperatures, with the exception of CM and TC. Moreover, no significant differences were observed in the release of calcium, magnesium and iron ions with time, nor were there any significant differences in the contents of iron ions in the aqueous extracts of organic materials at different temperatures. The results indicate that multiple mediums should be pretreated in water for a week before being used for planting. They should be used when all mineral elements of organic materials are steady and ignoring the effect of organic mediums.     

A study of the oxidative degradation of polyolefins

The oxidative degradation of polyolefins in the presence of transition metal catalysts is well known in the patent and technical literature. It has been suggested that a properly designed oxidatively degradable polymer could be used in limited lifetime articles and also on those whose primary method of disposal is composting, wherein the thermal activity is used to accelerate the oxidation process. The results of a detailed study of transition metal reactivity in the presence of numerous oxidation promoting species in polyolefins are presented. The oxidative degradation of these polyolefins was demonstrated at moderate temperatures under air and in a simulated compost environment. Approaches to determining the ultimate fate of these materials are discussed.     

Review of the kinetics of alkaline degradation of cellulose in view of its relevance for safety assessment of radioactive waste repositories

The degradation of cellulose (a substantial component of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste) under alkaline conditions occurs via two main processes: a peeling-off reaction and a basecatalyzed cleavage of glycosidic bonds (hydrolysis). Both processes show pseudo-first-order kinetics. At ambient temperature, the peeling-off process is the dominant degradation mechanism, resulting in the formation of mainly isosaccharinic acid. The degradation depends strongly on the degree of polymerization (DP) and on the number of reducing end groups present in cellulose. Beyond pH 12.5, the OH^- concentration has only a minor effect on the degradation rate. It was estimated that under repository conditions (alkaline environment, pH 13.3-12.5) about 10% of the cellulosic materials (average DP = 1000-2000) will degrade in the first stage (up to 10⁵ years) by the peeling-off reaction and will cause an ingrowth of isosaccharinic acid in the interstitial cement pore water. In the second stage (10⁵-10⁶ years), alkaline hydrolysis will control the further degradation of the cellulose. The potential role of microorganisms in the degradation of cellulose under alkaline conditions could not be evaluated. Proper assessment of the effect of cellulose degradation on the mobilization of radionuclides basically requires knowing the concentration of isosaccharinic acid in the pore water. This concentration, however, depends on several factors such as the stability of ISA under alkaline conditions, sorption of ISA on cement, formation of sparingly soluble ISA-salts, etc. A discussion of all the relevant processes involved, however, is far beyond the scope of the presented overview.     

An application of the theory of planned behaviour to study the influencing factors of participation in source separation of food waste

Tremendous increases in biodegradable (food waste) generation significantly impact the local authorities, who are responsible to manage, treat and dispose of this waste. The process of separation of food waste at its generation source is identified as effective means in reducing the amount food waste sent to landfill and can be reused as feedstock to downstream treatment processes namely composting or anaerobic digestion. However, these efforts will only succeed with positive attitudes and highly participations rate by the public towards the scheme. Thus, the social survey (using questionnaires) to analyse public’s view and influencing factors towards participation in source separation of food waste in households based on the theory of planned behaviour technique (TPB) was performed in June and July 2011 among selected staff in Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor. The survey demonstrates that the public has positive intention in participating provided the opportunities, facilities and knowledge on waste separation at source are adequately prepared by the respective local authorities. Furthermore, good moral values and situational factors such as storage convenience and collection times are also encouraged public’s involvement and consequently, the participations rate. The findings from this study may provide useful indicator to the waste management authorities in Malaysia in identifying mechanisms for future development and implementation of food waste source separation activities in household programmes and communication campaign which advocate the use of these programmes.     

裂解气脱硫新趋势

在回顾现有裂解气脱硫工艺的基础上，介绍了近年来国内外在该领域的研究和应用中所取得的进展及未来的发展趋势。     

Uncertainty in Estimation of Wet Deposition of Sulphur

A model is described for predicting wet deposition ofsulphur in Britain from rainfall and site measurementsof ion concentration in precipitation. This modelincludes orographic enhancement of both rainfall andion concentration. The model output is comparedagainst available measurement data. Sensitivity anduncertainty analyses are used to predict the outputuncertainty. If the stated assumptions can be shown tobe correct, the wet deposition for Britain at the 5 kmscale is accurate to ±35% across the country. Theanalyses show a larger uncertainty in central Englandand a possible bias towards underestimation of wetdeposition, the latter being of importance incalculating critical load exceedances in remote areas.     

Influence of RFID tags on recyclability of plastic packaging

The use of Radio Frequency IDentification Technology (RFID) in the packaging sector is an important logistical improvement regarding the advantages offered by this technology in comparison with barcodes. Nevertheless, the presence of these devices in plastic packaging, and consequently in plastic waste, can cause several problems in the recycling plants due to the materials included in these devices.In this study, the mentioned recycling constraints have been experimentally identified in a pilot scale recycling study consisting in three recycling tests with an increasing presence of RFID tags. Differences in each test were evaluated. Furthermore, the quality of the recycled material of each test was studied through the injection and testing of tests probes.The results of the pilot scale recycling tests did not show a decrease in the quality of the recycled plastic due to the presence of RFID tags. Nevertheless, several operational problems during the recycling process were observed such as the obstruction of the screens, which lessened the process yield and created process interruptions, as well as the loss of extruded plastic during the process.These recycling constraints cannot be directly extrapolated to the industrial plants due to the different working scales. Nevertheless, technological solutions are proposed in order to avoid these recycling constraints if they appear.     

Depletion of chlortetracycline during composting of aged and spiked manures

Chlortetracycline (CTC) is one of the most important pharmaceuticals occurring in the environment. An increase of its application as feed supplement for livestock and poultry in the world leads to a substantial CTC contamination of manures, because most of the CTC is excreted to manure. The simulation experiment of aerobic composting was adopted to investigate CTC depletion in aged and spiked manure composting, and to address the extent of CTC depletion during composting. The results showed that the extractable CTC initial concentration was markedly different between the different manures, with 94.71mgkg(-1) in broiler manure and 879.6mgkg(-1) in hog manure. The concentration of extractable CTC decreased rapidly at the initial stage of composting, and subsequently declined slowly during aged and spiked manure composting. At the end of composting, more than 90% of CTC in the manure composting process (42 days) was depleted, except for hog manure composting with a removal of only 27%. The CTC half-lives were 11.0 days in broiler manure, 86.6 days in hog manure, 12.2 days in layer-hen manure (150.3mgkg(-1) CTC), 12.0 days in layer-hen manure (100.0mgkg(-1) CTC) and 4.39 days in layer-hen manure (53.10mgkg(-1) CTC), all according to the first order kinetics. The significance of experimental parameters in CTC depletion was assessed by the Pearson correlation approach. Microbial degradation of CTC was not effective from manure composting. CTC depletion was in good correlation with total organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, C/N, N/P and total heavy metals.     

浅论湿法烟气脱硫系统的氧化问题

国内湿法烟气脱硫中普遍采用强制氧化工艺,但很多电厂存在氧化效果较差的问题。通过分析氧化过程及其反应机理,提出了提高氧化效果需要注意的问题及相关建议。     

固相微萃取技术的研究与应用现状

介绍了近年来国内外固相微萃取技术的研究现状，概述了该技术的原理，纤维种类、涂层及对液相，气相，固相母体中待测物的分析应用现状，并对其应用前景与发展方向做了初步探讨。     

厌氧消化中硫酸盐毒性的控制

探讨了厌氧消化中硫酸盐还原菌与产甲烷菌对分子氢的两种竞争作用及硫酸盐的致毒机制，归纳分析了目前对含硫酸盐有机废水厌氧处理可能采用的几种毒性控制对策及其存在问题。     

Model of technological alternatives of production of sodium chromate (VI) with the use of chromic wastes

This article presents a mathematical model which describes the sodium chromate (VI) production process with the use of chromic waste as a substitution of natural raw materials. This model is a function of selected process parameters common for all of the examined alternatives and based on equations of material balance. Optimization of the elaborated technological alternatives of the production process with use of recycling of chromic waste has been evaluated by determining the extreme value of the quality indicator WJ. This indicator defines the quantity of waste created in the process. Optimization results enabled the selection of the optimal technological solution from all of the alternatives possible for use in industrial practice. Negative values of the indicator prove that there is the possibility of introducing to the process a larger quantity of waste than the one obtained in the process and transported to the storage heaps.     

The biodegradation of blends of polycaprolactone and polyethylene exposed to a defined consortium of fungi

Polycaprolactone, polyethylene, and blends of polycaprolactone and polyethylene—in which the portion of polycaprolactone was 80 and 10%—were exposed for periods of from 1 to 16 weeks to a consortium of five fungi in a nutrient salt medium containing 0.8 mg/ml potato dextrose. After exposure the samples were cleaned, dried, and analyzed for weight loss, changes in their molecular weight distribution as determined by gel permeation chromatography, molecular changes as seen by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), and changes in tensile strength. Tensile strength of polycaprolactone began to decrease after 1 week of exposure, even though the molecular weight distribution showed no change. FT-IR spectra indicated a loss of amorphous polycaprolactone from the surface of samples.Certain commercial products ae identified in order to specify experimental procedures adequately. In no case does such identification imply endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology or that the material is necessarily the best available for the purpose.     

Calculation of carbon balances for evaluation of the biodegradability of polymers

Establishing carbon balances has been proven to be an applicable and powerful tool in testing biodegradability of polymers. In controlled degradation tests at a 4-L scale with the model polymer poly(-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), it was shown that the degree of degradation could not be determined with satisfactory accuracy from CO₂ release alone. Instead, the course of degradation was characterized by means of establishing carbon balances for the degradation of PHB withAcidovorax facilis and a mixed culture derived from compost. Different analytical methods for determining the different carbon fractions were adapted to the particular test conditions and compared. Quantitative determination of biomass and residual polymer were the main problems in establishing carbon balances. Amounts of biomass derived from protein measurements depend strongly on assumptions of the protein content of the biomass. Selective oxidation of biomass with hypochlorite was used as alternative, but here problems arose from insoluble metabolic products. Determination of soluble components with the method of chemical oxygen demand (COD) also includes empirical assumptions but seems acceptable if the dissolved carbon fraction is in the range of some 10% total carbon. Results confirm both analytical assays and theoretical approaches, in ending up at values very close to 100%, within an acceptable standard deviation range under test conditions comparable to standard test practice.Paper presented at the Bio/Environmentally Degradable Polymer Society—Third National Meeting, June 6–8, 1994, Boston, Massachusetts.     

含腈废水处理过程中污染物的转化规律

对某石化企业含腈废水的处理工艺进行了评估,从污染物的来源、组成、处理效果等方面研究了污染物的转化规律,揭示了现有工艺在含腈废水处理过程中的问题。实验结果表明:该企业污水处理场的废水来源较多,丙烯腈生产废水经四效蒸发系统处理后的出水是其污染物的主要来源,含有相对较多的含氮共轭体系;与其他废水混合后,经氨化作用,有机腈转变为有机胺和铵盐;A/O工段矿化度较高,COD的去除率高达73.0%,但有机胺含量仍较高;在缺氧池—生物流化池—硝化池工段,COD进一步被去除,胺类物质浓度大幅降低,但总氮脱除效果并不理想。     

Determination of the Thermal Efficiency of Pre-boilover Burning of a Slick of Oil on Water

The burning rate of a slick of oil on a water bed is calculated by a simple expression derived from a one-dimensional heat conduction equation. Heat feedback from the flame to the surface is assumed to be a constant fraction of the total energy released by the combustion reaction. The constant fraction (χ) is named the burning efficiency and represents an important tool in assessing the potential of in situ burning as a counter-measure to an oil-spill. The total heat release, as a function of the pool diameter, is obtained from an existing correlation. It is assumed that radiative heat is absorbed close to the fuel surface, that conduction is the dominant mode of heat transfer in the liquid phase and that the fuel boiling temperature remains constant. By matching the characteristic thermal penetration length scale for the fuel/water system and an equivalent single layer system, a combined thermal diffusivity can be calculated and used to obtain an analytical solution for the burning rate. Theoretical expressions were correlated with crude oil and heating oil, for a number of pool diameters and initial fuel layer thickness. Experiments were also conducted with emulsified and weathered crude oil. The simple analytical expression describes well the effects of pool diameter and initial fuel layer thickness permitting a better observation of the effects of weathering, emulsification and net heat feedback to the fuel surface. Experiments showed that only a small fraction of the heat released by the flame is retained by the fuel layer and water bed (of the order of 1%). The effect of weathering on the burning rate decreases with the weathering period and that emulsification results in a linear decrease of the burning rate with water content.