Kinetics characteristics and microwave reduction behavior of walnut shell-pyrolusite blends

Pyrolysis characteristics and product distribution of oil sludge based on radiant heating

It needs to be improved the conversion efficiency and stable operation of conventional pyrolysis with high-temperature flue gas heating (HFH). Herein, a new radiative heating (RH) pyrolysis method is proposed. Experimental studies are carried out on a self-made radiation pyrolysis pilot plant to investigate the effects of different factors (pyrolysis final temperature, residence time, and carrier gas volume) on product distribution. The results show that with the increase of pyrolysis temperature, the yield of the gas phase consistently increases, and the proportion of CH4 and H2 in the pyrolysis gas reaches 62.31% at 700 °C. The yield of the liquid phase increases and then decreases. The recovery rate of pyrolysis oil achieves 68.07% when the pyrolysis temperature is 600 °C with main components of ketones and unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds. The yield of the solid phase consistently decreases. The RH in this work generates more pyrolysis gas in the pyrolysis process and alleviates the effects of fouling layers on the continuous operation of the equipment which has guiding significance for the efficient resource utilization of oil sludge.

Co-recovery of Mn and Fe from pyrolusite and copper slag with hydrometallurgy process: Kinetics and leaching mechanisms

With the shortage of high-quality raw materials and increasingly strict environmental regulations, the recovery of metals from copper slag and pyrolusite has become a research hotspot. A novel method for simultaneously extracting Mn and Fe from pyrolusite and copper slag has been proposed. Under the optimal conditions (Copper slag / Pyrolusite = 2, H2SO4 = 2 M, liquid-solid ratio = 10, T = 90 ℃, holding time = 60 min), the leaching efficiencies of Mn and Fe can reach 98.28% and 99.04%, respectively. In addition, the treated residue containing 60.04 wt% SiO2 can be used as a raw building material. Through chemical kinetics and mineralogical transformation analyses, Fe2SiO4 in copper slag decomposes to release Fe2+, which can reduce and leach Mn from pyrolusite. The unreacted shrinkage nuclear reaction model under the control of the surface chemical reaction is the most suitable model to describe the process, and when the apparent activation energy is 35.50 kJ/mol, the apparent rate equation is: [Formula: see text].

Microwave Reactor with Combined Rigid and Flexible Stirring Paddles for Improving Fluid Heating Uniformity in Soft Manganese Ore Leaching Processes

In order to overcome the apparent limitations of the inhomogeneous nature of large-scale microwave heating of fluids, a microwave reactor with a rigid-flexible combined stirring paddle is used to heat fluids, destabilizing the hot spots present in the microwave heating of fluids process. An integrated multiphysics field simulation model for calculating the microwave heating process with fluid was created for the purpose of clarifying the temperature field dispersion and fluid flow patterns in the reactor. By using the proposed model, the rigid-flexible combined stirring paddle is compared with the conventional single- and double-layer stirring paddle to highlight the benefits of the rigid-flexible combined stirring paddle in improving fluid heating uniformity. It was found experimentally that the leaching rate of soft manganese ore was increased by 7.08 and 5.22% compared to conventional single and double stirred paddles, respectively. In addition, the optimal stirrer parameters were investigated by the response surface method.

Prediction of Compressive Strength of Biomass-Humic Acid Limonite Pellets Using Artificial Neural Network Model

Due to the detrimental impact of steel industry emissions on the environment, countries worldwide prioritize green development. Replacing sintered iron ore with pellets holds promise for emission reduction and environmental protection. As high-grade iron ore resources decline, research on limonite pellet technology becomes crucial. However, pellets undergo rigorous mechanical actions during production and use. This study prepared a series of limonite pellet samples with varying ratios and measured their compressive strength. The influence of humic acid on the compressive strength of green and indurated pellets was explored. The results indicate that humic acid enhances the strength of green pellets but reduces that of indurated limonite pellets, which exhibit lower compressive strength compared to bentonite-based pellets. Furthermore, artificial neural networks (ANN) predicted the compressive strength of humic acid and bentonite-based pellets, establishing the relationship between input variables (binder content, pellet diameter, and weight) and output response (compressive strength). Integrating pellet technology and machine learning drives limonite pellet advancement, contributing to emission reduction and environmental preservation.

Conventional and microwave-assisted acid pretreatment of tea waste powder: analysis of functional groups using FTIR

Tea waste powder (TWP) is one of the potential biomass waste to recover valuable chemicals and materials. The prime objective of this work is to investigate the role of acid pretreatment on TWP. Diluted acids (HCl, H₃PO₄, CH₃COOH, and H₂SO₄) were used to soak the TWP to understand the role of acids on bond cleavage and chemicals formation. One gram of TWP was soaked in 100 mL of diluted acids for 24 h. The soaked samples were further subjected to a hot air oven (temperature: 80 °C, duration: 6 h), orbital shaking (shaking speed: 80-100 rpm, duration: 6 h), and microwave irradiation (microwave power: 100 W, duration: 10 min) to understand the synergistic effects of acids and mode of exposure. The pretreated solid samples and liquid samples were analyzed using FTIR to understand the presence of functional groups. The mass loss of TWP after treatment significantly varied with the type of acid and exposure mode used. In the orbital shaker, the mass loss was varied in the following order: H₂SO₄ (36%) > CH₃COOH (32%) > H₃PO₄ (22%) > HCl (15%). In hot air oven, high mass loss was observed compared to orbital shaking [HCl (48%) > CH₃COOH (37%) > H₂SO₄ (35%) > H₃PO₄ (33%)]. The mass loss in microwave irradiation is lower (19 to 25%) with all acids compared to orbital shaking. In the solid samples, O-H stretching, C-H stretching, C=O stretching, C=C stretching, -C-O-, and -C-OH- functional groups were noticed. Similarly, C=O and C=C peaks and C-O and -C-OH peaks were noticed in liquid samples. Interestingly, microwave irradiation showed promising results in 10 min of pretreatment, whereas orbital shaking and hot air oven pretreatments require 6 h to achieve the same result.

Microwave drying method investigation for the process and kinetics of drying characteristics of zinc-leaching residue

Due to the high moisture content in the zinc-leaching residue, it is easy to cause safety problems when directly entering the kiln. Microwave drying can minimize particle agglomeration and promote cracks on the mineral surface, which benefits the subsequent recovery and smelting of zinc-leaching residue. The results showed that increasing microwave power and particle size range could improve the maximum drying rate and reduce the drying time. The maximum drying rate of 20 g zinc-leaching slag with a microwave power of 700 W, a particle size of 1-10 mm, and a moisture content of 20% can be higher than 0.365%/s and reach complete drying within 120 s. The drying results were fitted and statistically analyzed using nine common kinetic models of drying, the surface diffusion coefficient changes were further analyzed at four levels, and the reaction activation energy (E_a) was calculated. According to Fick's second law, when the average particle size increased from 0.044 to 5.5 mm, the surface diffusion coefficient increased from 6.2559 × 10^-9 to 3.8604 × 10^-6 m²/s, which showed that the effect of particle size change on microwave drying process was significant. The E_a of the drying reaction was 18.1169 kJ/mol. This method provides an idea for efficiently treating secondary resources containing valuable metals.

An atmospheric microwave plasma-based distributed system for medical waste treatment

Inadequate handling of infectious medical waste may promote the spread of the virus through secondary transmission during the transfer process. Microwave plasma, an ease-of-use, device-compact, and pollution-free technology, enables the on-site disposal of medical waste, thereby preventing secondary transmission. We developed atmospheric-pressure air-based microwave plasma torches with lengths exceeding 30 cm to rapidly treat various medical wastes in situ with nonhazardous exhaust gas. The gas compositions and temperatures throughout the medical waste treatment process were monitored by gas analyzers and thermocouples in real time. The main organic elements in medical waste and their residues were analyzed by an organic elemental analyzer. The results showed that (i) the weight reduction ratio of medical waste achieved a maximum value of 94%; (ii) a water-waste ratio of 30% was beneficial for enhancing the microwave plasma treatment effect for medical wastes; and (iii) substantial treatment effectiveness was achievable under a high feeding temperature (≥ 600 °C) and a high gas flow rate (≥ 40 L/min). Based on these results, we built a miniaturized and distributed pilot prototype for microwave plasma torch-based on-site medical waste treatment. This innovation could fill the gap in the field of small-scale medical waste treatment facilities and alleviate the existing issue of handling medical waste on-site.

Microwave plasma torches for solid waste treatment and vitrification

Conventional thermal plasma technology used in the treatment of solid waste has a high demand for power and a high rate of heat loss during solid waste treatment. We developed a novel approach for treating and vitrifying solid waste with a low-power microwave plasma torch (MPT). Based on theoretical thermodynamic equilibrium calculations, we studied the melting temperature of the residual ash and achieved vitrification of the residual ash with an MPT by adding specified ratios of discarded glass scraps. Thermocouples and a gas analyzer were used to characterize the temperature variations and gas concentrations in the plasma treatment chambers, respectively. An organic elemental analyzer and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses were used to determine the chemical proportions of the solid waste residues. The morphologies of the residues and vitreous material were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the microwave plasma treatment process converted 96 wt.% of the solid wastes into nonpolluting gases, leaving a residue of pure carbon and inorganic powder. Through theoretical calculations and experiments, atmospheric MPTs with power levels less than 10 kW were identified as realistic means for treating and vitrifying solid wastes.

Microwave-enhanced reduction of manganese from a low-grade pyrolusite ore using pyrite: process optimization and kinetic studies

The inefficient leaching of manganese is the main factor hindering the commercialization of the reduction process during manganese recovery using pyrite as the reducing agent. Hence, a new method for improving recovery efficiency and reducing the cost is required. This study uses microwave heating as a strengthening method to extract Mn²⁺ from pyrolusite and the leaching conditions are optimized. It was found that the extraction rate of Mn²⁺ could reach 95.07% under microwave heating through the conditions of H₂SO₄ is 1.2 mol/L, m(pyrolusite)/m(pyrite) equals to 10:2, leaching temperature is 90 ℃, and a liquid-solid (L/S) ratio of 10:1. The achieved extraction rate was higher than that of 75.08% under the conventional heating achieved at the same conditions. Besides, experimental studies have found that microwave heating can change the process and direction of chemical reactions, shorten the reaction time, and reduce sulfuric acid. Finally, the kinetic study indicates that the leaching process under microwave heating is controlled by surface chemical reactions. The equation of leaching kinetics is 1 - (1 - x)^1/3 = 3425.32/r₀·[H₂SO₄]^1.316·[FeS₂/MnO₂]^0.907·exp(- 45.03/(RT)·t. The activation energy is 45.03 kJ/mol. Meanwhile, through a scanning electron microscope and particle size analyzer, microwave heating has a significant influence on reducing the ore diameter and increasing the specific surface area of the sample. This study aims to provide an experimental trial case for studying the mechanism of microwave-enhanced leaching process during manganese recovery using pyrite as the reducing agent. The reported kinetics research may guide the development of the industrial application for Mn recovery.

The preparation and properties of iron-walnut shell powder microelectrolytic spherical fillers

In order to solve the issues of caking, loss, and effluent color reversion in the application of traditional microelectrolysis, the iron-walnut shell powder microelectrolytic spherical filler was developed in this paper. The filler was prepared by walnut shell powder, iron powder, sodium silicate, and sodium humate activated by ZnCl₂ as raw materials and calcined at high temperature. The effects of the mass ratios of Fe to walnut shell powder, sodium silicate content, sodium humate content, calcination temperature, and time on the removal rate of methylene blue by the spherical fillers were investigated, so as to determine the optimal preparation conditions of the spherical fillers. The pore-forming structure and the composition of the spherical fillers were also analyzed by an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and an energy spectrometer (EDS). The results show that the optimal preparation conditions for the spherical fillers of 5 mm are as follows: the mass ratio of iron powder to walnut shell powder treated by 15% ZnCl₂ is 1:1, sodium silicate is 15%, sodium humate is 20%, the calcination temperature is 800 °C, and the calcination time is 3 h. Compared with the conventional microelectrolysis, the removal rate of methylene blue by the spherical fillers can finally reach the same level as it did, and the phenomena of the filler hardening and clogging can be avoided.

Investigations on the Thermodynamics Characteristics, Thermal and Dielectric Properties of Calcium-Activated Zinc-Containing Metallurgical Residues

An activate pretreatment of zinc-containing metallurgical residues were proposed by adding CaO and introducing microwave heating approach into the CaO activation pretreatment process to realize the conversion of refractory ore phases into pre-treated ore phase. Thermodynamic characteristics analysis indicated that adding CaO can realize the conversion of refractory ore phases, with the same effect as the carbon additives. Thermal conductivity properties analysis denoted that the thermal conductivity properties of ZnS and ZnFe₂O₄ were relatively poor. Meanwhile, the thermal conductivity properties of the residues sample added with 25% CaO were significantly superior to the residues added with other CaO contents, with the maximum specific heat value of 1.348 J/g·K at 350 °C. Dielectric properties analysis highlighted that adding CaO with the dielectric constant properties significantly higher than that of other substances can enhance the microwave absorption capacity of zinc-containing residues. The decrease in dielectric loss and loss tangent value with the increase of temperature and the residues having large microwave penetration depth guaranteed to obtain better uniformity of microwave heating. Furthermore, adding 25% CaO promoted the microwave penetration depth of the residues sample increased in the range of 300–500 °C. This work can lay a theoretical research foundation for solving the key difficulty for efficient Zn recovery from complex zinc-containing metallurgical residues.

Lignocellulosic composition based thermal kinetic study of Mangiferaindica Lam, Artocarpus Heterophyllus Lam and Syzygium Jambolana seeds

In the present study, pyrolysis of mangifera indica L., Artocarpus heterophyllus L. and jambolana seeds have been performed using thermogravimetric analysis. These biomasses have enriched lignocellulosic composition of hemicellulose (5-10%) and lignin (1-3%) which are unexplored. The TGA analysis was performed at various heating rates of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 °C/min from 25 to 600 °C. Kinetic investigation of the pyrolysis method using TGA statistics has been done using iso-conversional models of Flynn-Wall-Ozawa, Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose, Vyazovkin and Vyazovkin AIC. The apparent activation energies value ranged from 179.86 to 226.31 kJ/mol in the fractional conversion range of 0.1 to 0.7.

Pyrolysis of almond (Prunus amygdalus) shells: Kinetic analysis, modelling, energy assessment and technical feasibility studies

The aim of this work was to study the thermogravimetric analysis through the pyrolysis of almond (Prunus amygdalus) shells for evaluating its potential for bioenergy at different heating rates (10, 25, and 50 K min^-1). The activation energy values for the process were of the range of 153.0, 152.02, and 152.73 kJ mol^-1 as calculated by Kissenger-Akahira-Sunrose (KAS), Ozawa-Flynn-Wall (OFW) and Starink models respectively. The change in the Gibbs free energy was ~181 kJ mol^-1. Diffusion-based reaction, followed by the chemical reaction mechanism,was dominant thermal degradation as envisaged by the Coats-Redfern method. The validation of the experiments was accomplished through the artificial neural network, reiterating its further usage in any conversional studies of biomass. A difference of < 10 kJ mol^-1 between the values of activation energy and enthalpy of the degradation reaction indicated favourable product formation. The results offer potential application of almond shells for energy production through pyrolysis.

Ultrasonication-Assisted Preparation of a Mn-Based Blast Furnace Slag Catalyst: Effects on the Low-Temperature Selective Catalytic Reduction Denitration Process

Reducing costs and improving performance have always been hotspots in the field of catalyst research. In order to control the NO x in the low-temperature flue gas of nonpower industries, this paper studies the denitration performance of the ultrasonication-assisted preparation of Mn-based blast furnace slag selective catalytic reduction (SCR) low-temperature denitration catalysts. The catalyst was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, and SEM. The study found that ultrasound assistance can make the active components on the catalyst surface more uniformly dispersed and improve the catalytic activity of the catalyst. Under conditions of 80 W ultrasonic power and 20 min ultrasonic time, the denitration performance of the Mn-based blast furnace slag catalyst is optimal, and the NO removal rate is 2.5 times that of the unsonicated catalyst. This work clarified the mechanism of the effect of ultrasonic assistance on the Mn-based blast furnace slag catalyst and at the same time realized the utilization of solid waste resources and air pollution control.

Bioleaching of manganese from a low-grade pyrolusite ore using Aspergillus niger: Process optimization and kinetic studies

Low-grade metal resources generated during different mineral processing activities are increasing while there are not many economic and environmentally friendly techniques to manage them. There is no viable technique for the manganese extraction from low-grade ores as the conventional procedures are costly and environmentally unfriendly. In this research, the D-optimal response surface methodology has been used to optimize the bioleaching parameters. Varied contact methods (one-step, two-step, and spent medium), nutrition sources (sucrose and glucose), and pulp densities (1 g.L^-1 to 10 g.L^-1) were used in different experiments having been done in 30 days using Aspergillus niger. A maximum recovery of over 80% of Mn was achieved based on the acidolysis, complexolysis, and redoxolysis leaching of the organic acids produced by the fungi under the optimum condition; a two-step approach, in a glucose medium, and with a pulp density of 1 g.L^-1. A kinetic study was also performed and revealed that the leaching mechanism was a mixed one which consisted of two stages (diffusion through the liquid film and a chemical reaction) for the first 12 day period, and a mechanism of diffusion through the product layer for the rest of the experiment.

Study on thermochemical characteristics properties and pyrolysis kinetics of the mixtures of waste corn stalk and pyrolusite

As an alternative energy source for fossil energy, use of biomass pyrolysis to reduce pyrolusite is of great significance for energy conservation, emission reduction and environmental protection. Kinetics and thermodynamics of reducing pyrolusite using biomass pyrolysis was studied using thermogravimetric analysis analysis. Five non-isothermal methods, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa, Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose, Distributed Activation Energy Model, Starink and Friedman, were employed to calculate the pyrolysis kinetics and thermodynamic parameters. The results showed that pyrolusite reduction by biomass pyrolysis can be divided into four stages: drying stage (30-175 °C), rapid pyrolysis reduction stage (175-350 °C), slow pyrolysis reduction stage (350-680 °C) and char formation stage (680-900 °C). The apparent activation energy, reaction enthalpy, Gibbs free energy and entropy change of pyrolusite reduction by biomass pyrolysis was calculated ranges from 170 to 180 kJ/mol, 164 to 174 kJ/mol, 136.97 to 137.25 kJ/mol and 45.67 to 61.91 J/mol·K, respectively. This work provides theoretical basis and practical guidance for the reduction of pyrolusite by waste corn stalk.