Low-Cost Route for Preparing Carbon–Silica Composite Mesoporous Material from Coal Gasification Slag: Synthesis, Characterization and Application in Purifying Dye Wastewater

Research status of comprehensive utilization of coal-based solid waste (CSW) and key technologies of filling mining in China: A review

Coal-based solid waste (CSW) is the solid waste generated in the process of coal mining, washing and pyrolysis, which is an important industrial solid waste. The comprehensive utilization of CSW is a key link in the process of clean and efficient utilization of coal, and the use of CSW for coal mine filling mining is an important means of "harmless, resourceful and large-scale" utilization. In order to study the research status of comprehensive utilization of CSW and key technologies of filling mining in China, this paper combs and analyzes the current situation of comprehensive utilization of CSW from three parts, namely, physical and chemical properties of CSW, Industry-related policies, and ways and means of comprehensive utilization. It is found that coal mine filling mining is a green disposal method with relatively reliable technical means, low supervision cost and large-scale disposal of CSW in the comprehensive utilization of CSW in China. Furthermore, an analysis was conducted on the current research status of key technologies in the CSW filling and mining process, including the integration of "mining, selection and filling", adsorption and complexation passivation of heavy metals in CSW, the preparation of CSW collaborative filling materials, and monitoring and control of the whole filling process, etc. Based on the above analysis and research, it was pointed out that there were some problems, namely: (1) large output of CSW and low level of comprehensive utilization; (2) high investment and high cost of CSW filling and mining; and (3) imperfect CSW waste filling mining theory and technology. In response to these issues, prospects have been made from the aspects of policy incentive mechanisms, collaborative utilization of CSW with multi-industry links, and the theory and technology of CSW filling mining. This study provided reference and inspiration for the comprehensive utilization of CSW in the world, and provides guidance for the large-scale promotion and application of CSW filling mining methods.

From waste to catalyst: Growth mechanisms of ZSM-5 zeolite from coal fly ash & rice husk ash and its performance as catalyst for tetracycline degradation in fenton-like oxidation

Coal fly ash (CFA), an industrial solid waste, can be utilized to synthesize Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 (ZSM-5) by incorporating an external silica source. In this study, a series of ZSM-5 zeolites were synthesized using rice husk ash (RHA) as the primary silica source and CFA as the primary aluminum source under controlled hydrothermal reaction conditions, and the growth mechanism of ZSM-5 was investigated. The process of ZSM-5 growth was featured by the transformation of hyperpoly silico-aluminate in CFA and RHA into monomers. These monomers formed crystal nuclei connected in a five-membered ring structure under the influence of Tetrapropyl ammonium hydroxide (TPAOH). The surplus monomeric silica-aluminate grew on the nucleus surface due to the addition of the silica source within RHA (RHA-SiO2), ultimately resulting in the development of ZSM-5 zeolite. Characterization results demonstrated that RHA-SiO2 exhibited favorable physical and chemical properties during the ZSM-5 synthesis, with a crystallinity of 99.03%, a specific surface area of 321.19 m2/g, a weight loss of only 3.06% at 800 °C and a total acidity of 0.65 mmol/g. To evaluate the catalytic performance of ZSM-5, Fe/Cu-modified ZSM-5 was developed and used as the catalyst for the degradation of tetracycline (TC) in Fenton-like oxidation. The results indicated that Fe/Cu-ZSM-5 exhibited excellent activity and stability as the catalyst for TC degradation and mineralization. The maximum TC degradation rate reached 99.02% in 10 min and the TOC removal could be up to 69.32% in 2 h. Characterization results indicated that the Fe/Cu ions redox cycle accelerated the generation of active species (1O2 and ˙OH) in Fenton-like systems. The ZSM-5 zeolite synthesized from solid waste demonstrated superb stability and catalytic activity, leading to the effective removal of TC. Since real wastewater generally contains various pollutants, future research efforts should focused on multi-pollutant treatment.

Nano-silica from white silica sand functionalized with PANI-SDS (SiO2/PANI-SDS) as an adsorbent for the elimination of methylene blue from aqueous media

Natural resources including sand are one of the best approaches for treating dye-polluted wastewater. The SiO2/PANI-SDS nanocomposite was synthesized by self-assembly and intermolecular interaction. The physicochemical features of the SiO2/PANI-SDS nanocomposite were explored by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, and N2 adsorption-desorption techniques to be evaluated as an adsorbent for the MB. The surface area of the SiO2/PANI-SDS is 23.317 m2/g, the pore size is 0.036 cm3/g, and the pore radius is 1.91 nm. Batch kinetic studies at different initial adsorbate, adsorbent and NaCl concentrations, and temperatures showed excellent pseudo-second-order. Several isotherm models were applied to evaluate the MB adsorption on the SiO2/PANI-SDS nanocomposite. According to R2 values the isotherm models were fitted in the following order: Langmuir > Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) > Freundlich. The adsorption/desorption process showed good reusability of the SiO2/PANI-SDS nanocomposite.

Multitudinous components recovery, heavy metals evolution and environmental impact of coal gasification slag: A review

In recent years, the coal gasification industry has rapidly developed, becoming one of the most promising technologies in the advanced and clean coal chemical industry. As a result, the annual emission of coal gasification fine slag (CGFS) has continuously increased. The present situation of CGFS is regarded as a notorious waste in gasification plants and is rudely landfilled or deposited in slag yards, which leads to a large waste of land resources, the release of dangerous elements, and numerous pollution problems. Although CGFS is classified as industrial solid waste, its unique physical and chemical properties make it a valuable resource that cannot be overlooked. This paper focuses on the resource utilization technology and environmental impact of CGFS. The resource utilization of different components of CGFS has realized the evolution from waste to valuable substances. Moreover, during the disposal and utilization of CGFS, its environmental effects cannot be ignored. The main problems and future research directions are also further proposed. Efforts should be focused on the challenges of the technology, cost, and environmental protection in the application process to achieve industrial application, and ultimately committed to sustainable and green development goals, and promote the sustainable management and conservation of resources.

The preparation and evaluation mechanism of mesoporous spherical silica/porous carbon-filled polypropylene composites obtained from coal gasification fine slag

Coal gasification fine slag is a by-product of the entrained-flow gasifier, which has caused some environmental pollution. Through acid dissolution and calcination at different temperatures, mesoporous spherical silica/porous carbon composite filler was prepared using coal gasification fine slag. The particle size and specific surface area of the composite filler decreased with the decrease of unburned carbon content. The analysis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated the decrease of oxygen-containing functional groups and the increase of C-C groups with the decrease of the content of carbon. The effects of mesoporous spherical silica/porous carbon with different carbon content on the comprehensive properties of filled polypropylene (PP) were studied. The tensile strength and interface interaction increased at first and then decreased with the decrease of carbon content, due to the synergistic effect of mesoporous spherical silica and rough amorphous carbon. The scanning electron microscope showed that the composite filler with the carbon content of 14.47 wt.% at the calcination temperature of 450 °C had the best compatibility with the matrix. Thermodynamic analysis of the PP composites indicated that thermal insulation properties and thermal stability improved with the incorporation of the composite filler. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) testing indicated the highest crystallinity of the matrix corresponding to the best comprehensive performances of the composites. XRD patterns revealed that the cooperation of fillers brought characteristic peaks and did not change the primary crystal structure of PP. Simultaneously, heavy calcium powders (CC) were used as comparative fillers, and the overall properties of the PP composites filled with the composite filler were better compared to those of the CC-filled PP composite. The results illustrated that mesoporous spherical silica/porous carbon particles can completely replace CC used in the PP composites, which can be used in auto bumpers, plastic pipes, display cases, and car air deflectors. The CGFS can be processed into a plastic filler for substituting heavy calcium powder particles, which can solve the environmental pollution caused by the accumulation of solid waste.

Enrichment of Residual Carbon in Coal Gasification Fine Slag via Wet Sieving Separation with Ultrasonic Pretreatment

To overcome the environmental and economic challenges posed by the increasing amounts of the coal gasification slag, here, a simple and efficient method for enriching the residual carbon from the coal gasification fine slag was proposed. The residual carbon enrichment pattern in the particle size distribution of coal gasification fine slags after the ultrasonic pretreatment was mainly enriched toward the 500-250 μm and 250-125 μm particle size classes by analyzing the changes in the particle size distribution and apparent morphology. The pulp pretreatment at the ultrasonic output power of 270 W for 4 min was determined as the optimal experimental condition with respect to the yield, ash content, and ash rejection of the concentrates. Compared to the conventional wet sieving separation, the yield and ash content of the final concentrates were reduced by 7.99 and 14.96%, respectively. Moreover, the ash rejection of the final concentrates was as high as 88.51%, indicating an increment of 11.63% than the conventional wet sieving separation. Furthermore, thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that the final concentrates exhibited the lowest reactivity; however, these demonstrated had the highest carbon content (nearly 70%) with 27.27% ash content. The combustion characteristics analysis showed that the wet screening concentrate after ultrasonic pretreatment had the highest composite combustion characteristic index (S) of 3.17 × 10^-8, as compared to the raw and conventional sieving concentrates.

Synthesis and adsorption performance of ultra-low silica-to-alumina ratio and hierarchical porous ZSM-5 zeolites prepared from coal gasification fine slag

Since the human consumption of coal is increasingly growing and coal-based solid wastes are discharged in large quantities, the resource utilization of coal-based solid wastes has been paid more attention. In the present work, for the first time, the coal gasification fine slag is subjected to prepare ZSM-5 zeolites with ultra-low n(SiO₂)/n(Al₂O₃) ratios (less than 20) and hierarchical pore structures. The increase in the concentration of the alkaline extract leads to the decrease of the crystallinity, the irregularity of the microscopic morphology, and the decrease of the specific surface area, resulting in the in-situ generation of mesopores within ZSM-5. Moreover, adsorption experiments demonstrate that ZSM-5-2M exhibits the best methylene blue adsorption performance at the pH of 9 with a removal rate of up to 82.07%, and it also has good adsorption performance in simulated real water samples. Furthermore, the adsorption performance of ZSM-5-2M on the malachite green, Rhodamine B, Congo red, and methyl orange has been investigated and it is found to be very effective for the adsorption of cationic dyes, and its adsorption performance for methylene blue and malachite green is reduced in the presence of anions.

Preparation and application of porous materials from coal gasification slag for wastewater treatment: A review

In recent years, coal gasification has been gradually promoted as clean technology, and coal gasification slag (CGS) emissions have increased accordingly. CGS, including coarse slag and fine slag, is rich in SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ and has pozzolanic activity, and thus CGS can be regarded as a cheap source of aluminosilicate. Also, CGS, especially the fine slag, usually contains higher contents of residual carbon which has a large specific surface area and low volatility and hence can be considered as a favorable precursor of activated carbon. Benefiting from these characteristics, CGS can be used to prepare high value-added porous materials, such as zeolite, mesoporous silica, carbon-silicon composite, and porous ceramics, and the obtained structures accommodate both sufficient adsorption capacity and low cost. Here, we review the research advances in characteristics of CGS and preparation methods of CGS-based porous materials, as well as their adsorption performance of heavy metal ions, organic dyes, ammonia nitrogen, and other water pollutants. The current studies indicate that CGS-derived adsorbents are effective and economical alternatives for removing aqueous pollutants. In addition, further research prospects on CGS-based porous materials are proposed.