Comparison of adsorption behavior of PCDD/Fs on carbon nanotubes and activated carbons in a bench-scale dioxin generating system

Two-dimensional antimonene as a potential candidate for dioxin capture

Among the serious environmental problems that attracted much attention from the broader public is the high toxicity of dioxins. Considerable efforts have been made to develop techniques and materials that could help in their efficient removal from the environment. Due to its high specific surface area, numerous active sites, and outstanding structural and electronic properties, antimonene is considered for a variety of potential applications in different fields such as energy storage, electrocatalysis, and biomedicine. The present study adds to this portfolio by suggesting antimonene as a promising candidate for dioxin capture. Using density functional theory calculations, we studied the adsorption of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on pristine as well as Ca-, Ti-, and Ni-doped antimonene. Three spatial configurations of the adsorption of TCDD on antimonene were analyzed. The results obtained from the calculation of adsorption energies, charge transfer, and densities of states provide evidence that antimonene outperforms other nanomaterials that have been previously suggested for dioxin capture applications. Therefore, we propose these substrates (i.e., pristine and doped antimonene) as potential capture agents for removing such toxic organic pollutants.

PCDD/F adsorption enhancement over nitrogen-doped biochar: A DFT-D study

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/furans (PCDD/F) have a great threat to the environment and human health, resulting in controlling PCDD/F emissions to regulation far important for emission source. Considering 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzo-p-furan (PeCDF) identified as the most contributor to international toxic equivalent, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF can be considered as the target molecule for the adsorption of PCDD/F emission from industries. With the aim to in-depth elucidate how different types of nitrogen (N) species enhance 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF on the biochar and guide the specific carbon materials design for industries, systematic computational investigations by density functional theory calculations were conducted. The results indicate pristine biochar intrinsically interacts with 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF by π-π electron donor and acceptor (EDA) interaction, six-membered carbon rings of PeCDF parallel to the biochar surface as the strongest adsorption configuration. Moreover, by comparison of adsorption energy (-150.16 kJ mol-1) and interaction distance (3.593 Å) of pristine biochar, environment friendly N doping can enhance the adsorption of 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF on biochar. Compared with graphitic N doping and pyridinic N doping, pyrrolic N doping biochar presents the strongest interaction toward 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF molecule due to the highest adsorption energy (-155.56 kJ mol-1) and shortest interaction distance (3.532 Å). Specially, the enhancing adsorption of PeCDF over N doped biochar attributes to the enhancing π-π electron EDA interaction and electrostatic interaction. In addition, the effect of N doping species on PeCDF adsorbed on the biochar is more than that of N doping content. Specially, the adsorption capacity of N doping biochar for PCDD/F can be improved by adding pyrrolic N group most efficiently. Furthermore, pyrrolic N and pyridinic N doping result in the entropy increase, and electrons transform from pyrrolic N and pyridinic N doped biochar to 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF molecule. A complete understanding of the research would supply crucial information for applying N-doped biochar to effectively remove PCDD/F for industries.

Simultaneous removal of PCDD/Fs and mercury by activated carbon from a full-scale MSW incinerator in southeast China

This study emphasized on the removal performance of polychlorinated-ρ-dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and mercury by different activated carbon injection (ACI) rates from a full-scale (700 t/d) MSW incinerator. The result exhibited that the emission standard of PCDD/Fs and mercury could be met when the ACI rate reached 50 mg/Nm³ and 30 mg/Nm³, respectively. Lower chlorinated PCDD/Fs and PCDFs showed higher removal efficiencies compared with highly chlorinated PCDD/Fs and PCDDs, which could be attributed to the larger competitiveness of highly volatile congeners in AC adsorption than the lower volatile ones. AC turned out to have different adsorption selectivity for CP-routes PCDD/Fs congeners, among which 1379-TCDD was preferred to be absorbed while others exhibited little or poor selectivity for AC adsorption. The removal efficiency of PCDD/Fs was positively correlated with ACI rate at 99% confidence interval with a linear relationship (R² = 0.98). Also, the outlet concentration of mercury decreased with the increase of ACI rate in a nearly linear function (R² = 0.96). These results will be meaningful for the rational use of AC for pollutants control.

Insight into the Transformation Behaviors of Dioxins from Sintering Flue Gas in the Cyclic Thermal Regeneration by the V2O5/AC Catalyst-sorbent

Dioxins in the sintering flue gas are usually removed through integrated elimination technologies by carbonaceous catalysts. However, the regeneration of the used catalyst is poorly investigated, leading to the risk of leakage of dioxins. Herein, the influences of cyclic regenerations on the dioxin removal performance of a catalyst (V₂O₅/AC) were investigated systematically with dibenzofuran (DBF) as a model pollutant. It was demonstrated that the adsorption capacity and oxidation activity of catalysts significantly declined after several regeneration cycles due to the decreasing external specific surface area and V⁵⁺, respectively. Compared with 79.12% DBF directly emitted from a regenerator during N₂ regeneration, the emission of DBF was only 29.93% with the modification of the regeneration process through O₂ addition and temperature adjustment. The possible regenerated products were also analyzed to disclose the transformation behaviors of DBF. The regeneration mechanisms of DBF followed the transformation pathway of dibenzofuranol, benzofuran, anhydride species, and ultimately to CO₂ and H₂O. Moreover, the accumulated heavy aromatics on the surface could be decomposed by introducing O₂. This research provides a comprehensive understanding of dioxin transformation behavior and a theoretical basis for efficient control of dioxin removal in the whole integrated removal technologies.

[Evaluation of thermal adsorption and desorption properties of dioxins on 11 adsorbents]

The key to the online thermal capture of dioxins is the appropriate choice of adsorbent for efficient capture at low temperatures and rapid desorption at high temperatures. Efficient adsorbents can allow for capture and separation during the online monitoring of dioxins or during offline dioxin tests. In this study, 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (1,2,3,4-TCDD) and pentachlorodibenzofuran (1,2,3,8,9-PCDF) were used as model compounds for dioxin monomers, and an electron capture detector (ECD) was used to detect the dioxin signals. The retention volumes of 1,2,3,4-TCDD and 1,2,3,8,9-PCDF on 11 types of adsorbents were determined using a packed-column gas chromatography system. Then, the corresponding van der Hoff equation was established, and these adsorbents were evaluated for the thermal trapping of dioxin. The linear coefficients of determination (R2) of these adsorbents were greater than 0.96, which indicated a strong correlation between the adsorption capacity and 1/T (T: temperature). The gas-solid partition coefficients (KSA) of the adsorbent at 120, 150 and 180 ℃ were predicted according to the van der Hoff equation, which was obtained in an earlier study. Among the 11 adsorbents, florite had the largest adsorption capacity at 120, 150, and 180 ℃, especially at 120 ℃; the KSA values for 1,2,3,4-TCDD and 1,2,3,8,9-PCDF on florite were as high as 1.82×108 m3/g and 1.46×1013 m3/g, respectively. Carbon-based adsorbents of the Chinese stilbene polymer porous microspheres GDX series, GDX-101, GDX-102, GDX-103, GDX-105, and GDX-203, can facilitate thermal desorption below 270 ℃, which is the maximum tolerance temperature for series 1 and 2, thus providing evidence for the feasibility of using these adsorbents for the thermal adsorption/desorption of dioxins. When the detection temperature is less than 310 ℃, 1,2,3,4-TCDD is thermally desorbed from mordenite, but 1,2,3,8,9-PCDF is not; this indicates the selective adsorption of dioxin monomers on zeolite. However, diatomite and montmorillonite have poor adsorption capacity for dioxins in the gas phase, thus being unsuitable for the thermal trapping of dioxins. Florite, silica gel, alumina, GDX-102, GDX-103, and GDX-203, which have strong adsorption capacities, were selected as possible absorbents for the next evaluation. Comparison of the lnKSA values of dioxin monomers on the same adsorbent at 120 ℃ and 270 ℃ revealed that the retention volume of florite was the largest at both temperatures. When the thermal trapping performance of dioxin at low temperatures is considered, florite is thought to be the best among the 11 adsorbents for capturing dioxins. However, when the desorption performance at high temperatures is considered, GDX-102 is the best adsorbent for the thermal desorption of dioxins, and its lnKSA,270 ℃ is the smallest among those for the aforementioned six adsorbents. The lnKSA,120 ℃ and lnKSA,270 ℃ values of silica gel, GDX-103, and GDX-203 are similar to those of GDX-102, and hence, they can also be used as rapid thermal adsorption/desorption materials. In this study, the thermal adsorption/desorption properties of 1,2,3,4-TCDD and 1,2,3,7,8-PCDF on 11 adsorbents were systematically evaluated to obtain a new solution for the sampling and preparation of dioxins and to provide technical support for the thermal capture of dioxins. It should be noted that these results were obtained under ideal conditions of nitrogen, without considering the influence of the complex conditions of flue gas (such as moisture and CO2) on the thermal capture. To achieve the thermal capture of dioxins in incineration flue gas, it is necessary to carry out the relevant evaluation and test research in a flue gas atmosphere.

Wooden Activated Carbon Production for Dioxin Removal via a Two-Step Process of Carbonization Coupled with Steam Activation from Biomass Wastes

A two-step process of carbonization coupled with steam activation was proposed for wooden activated carbon production from four kinds of biomass waste materials. The TG-FTIR results show that the carbonization process started at around 250 °C and finished at 500 °C for the coconut shell, pinewood, and plywood. The carbonization temperature of corn straw was lower than those of the other three samples, which was attributed to the higher concentration of ash content. FTIR results for the volatile compounds during carbonization show that CH₄, CO, CO₂, and hydrocarbons are the main detected gaseous species. The CH₄ and C _m H _n yields of pinewood and plywood are higher than those of the coconut shell and corn straw. The carbonization results on the tubular furnace reactor show that furfural and phenol and its derivatives are the main tar compounds in waste carbonization. Carbonization experiments show that a temperature of 500 °C and residence time of 30 min are the optimized parameters for the three biomass wastes. The char yields are 26.4, 25.73, and 30.38% for pinewood, plywood, and coconut shell, respectively. CFD modeling has proven that using 20% of the volatiles could achieve lowest pollution and provide heat for carbonization of biomass waste. The steam activation results show that an activation temperature of 800 °C and activation time of 30 min are suitable for all three biomass samples, which could obtain optimized AC yields and adsorption quality for dioxin.

Process tracing of PCDD/Fs from economizer to APCDs during solid waste incineration: Re-formation and transformation mechanisms

The emission of PCDD/Fs is a crucial factor for the aggravation of the Not-In-My-Back-Yard (NIMBY) syndrome, especially for the incineration plants that fail to meet the emission standard. It is well known that physicochemical processes in the boiler can notably affect the discharge of dioxins, especially under transient, non-steady conditions. However, few studies paid attention to the important operational parameters that influence PCDD/Fs formation and transformation in the boiler when an incinerator is in its daily steady operation. In this study, 36 samples were analyzed to achieve process tracing of PCDD/Fs. The concentration, congener profile and vapor/solid partitions of PCDD/Fs from the economizer to air pollution control devices (APCDs) under two typical steady conditions were investigated. Results indicated that increasing air supply aggravated the formation of PCDD/Fs, disturbed the vapor/solid partitions, and triggered a substandard emission. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling was firstly performed for the formation mechanism and orbital energy factors were identified as dominating factors. Besides, the removal rates of PCDD/Fs significantly correlated with the saturated vapor pressure and proportions of different isomers. This study is beneficial for operators to optimize relevant operational parameters of the incineration plants so as to get rid of substandard problems.