Relation between silico-aluminous fly ash and its coal of origin

Fly ashes are typical complex solids which incorporate at the same time intrinsic properties derived from the layers （various mineralogical and dimensional spectra） and major transformations generated during prior processing. To use fly ashes in various applications, it is necessary to characterise them completely. The first research to date carried out on silico-aluminous fly ashes in order to characterise them physically, morphologically, chemically and mineralogically, resulted in the recognition that they are relatively simple materials. In the present study, a silico-aluminous fly ash coming from the power station of Albi （France） was selected. Heat treatment at 450 and 1200℃ together with coal simulated the treatment undergone by coal in the power station in order to mimic real coal residue. In conclusion, the diversity of the particles contained in fly ash could only be exolained by the relation existing between the fly ash and its coal of origin.     

Pozzolanic reactivity of silico-aluminous fly ash

For some years it has been possible to control the particle size of fly ashes, by-products of thermal power stations. Incorporating these very fine particles (obtained by grinding and/or pneumatic selection) improves the physical-mechanical characteristics of mortars and concretes. In this study, we measured the lime consumption of the various fractions (granulometric and densimetric) and identified by X-ray diffraction the neoformed phases by the pozzolanic reaction, to show that it is not sufficient to simply define the pozzolanicity of products based on lime consumption since it does not take into account the nature of the phases formed. The size of the particles used in the test samples also has a determining effect on the quantity of lime consumed. Before comparing results, it is necessary to ensure that the size of the particles (of the global ash and its constituents) be the same. Two distinct neoformed phases appear: CSH in the largest granular fractions (d>40 μm) and C<3AH6 in the smaller fractions.     

Removal of inhalable particles from coal and refuse combustion by agglomeration with solid nuclei

Airborne inhalable particles are a potent environmental pollutant. Formed via industrial processes, separation of these particles is difficult using conventional clean up techniques. In this work, solid nuclei particles of different chemical compositions were introduced into an agglomeration chamber with simulated flue gases to investigate their ability to remove these particles. Organic nuclei were able to capture more inhalable particles from coal-derived fly ash than inorganic nuclei, though these proved more effective for the agglomeration of inhalable particles in refuse-derived fly ash. Increasing the diameter of the solid nuclei benefitted the agglomeration process for both types of ash. Varying the local humidity changed adhesion between the particles and encouraged them to aggregate. Increasing the relative humidity consistently increased particle agglomeration for the refuse-derived ash. For coal-derived fly ash, the removal efficiency increased initially with relative humidity but then further increases in humidity had no impact on the relatively high efficiencies. After agglomeration in an atmosphere of 62% relative humidity, the mean mass diameter of inhalable particles in the coal-derived fly ash increased from 3.3 to 9.2 μm. For refuse-derived fly ash, agglomeration caused the percentage of particles that were less than 2 μm to decrease from 40% to 15%. After treatment at a relative humidity of 61%, the mean size of inhalable particles exceeded 10 μm.     

Spectroscopic research on infrared emittance of coal ash deposits

This paper deals with thermal radiation characteristics of ash deposits on a pulverized coal combustion boiler of an electric power plant. Normal emittance spectra in the near to medium infrared (2.5–25 μm) region and total normal emittances were measured on four kinds of ground ash deposits. Measurements were conducted in the 570–1460 K temperature range which is common for boiler furnaces, by both heating and cooling the ash samples, with the aim to study the effect of their thermal history. Dependence of emittance on wavelength, temperature and chemical composition was studied, too. Samples were tested for transparency (opacity) to verify the accuracy of results. It was determined that the thicknesses used for the ash powders are opaque for infrared radiation for thicknesses in the order of a millimeter. Tests have shown that spectral emittance increases with an increase of wavelength with a characteristic pattern common for all samples. Spectral normal emittance increases strongly with temperature at shorter wavelengths and remains high and unchanged at longer ones. Emittance spectra are not very sensitive to chemical composition of ashes especially beyond λ ≈ 5 μm. With an increase of temperature, total emittance of the powdered sample decreases to a minimum value around 1200 K. Further temperature rise induces an increase of total emittance due to sintering in the ash. On cooling, the emittance increases monotonically following the hysteresis. Quantitative directions for evaluating thermal radiation characteristics of ash deposits for the merits of the safety design of boiler furnaces were proposed. That comprises correlating the experimentally obtained emittance spectra with curves of simple analytical form, i.e., a continuous function of minimum emittance vs. wavelength. The proposed method can be extended to other specimens from the same furnace and used to determine correlations for thermal calculation of old and design of new furnaces – with similar geometry and combusting similar coal. The method is potentially applicable to completely different boiler furnaces combusting different coal, and the authors recommend running the tests with new deposit samples. The data will then be applicable to the thermal design of a whole new class of furnaces, having similar geometry and combusting similar coal. This is expected to greatly enhance the accuracy and precision of thermal calculation as well as the efficiency of thermal design of steam boilers.     

Pozzolanic reactivity of silico-aluminous fly ash

For some years it has been possible to control the particle size of fly ashes, by-products of thermal power stations. Incorporating these very fine particles （obtained by grinding and/or pneumatic selection） improves the physical-mechanical characteristics of mortars and concretes. In this study, we measured the lime consumption of the various fractions （granulometric and densimetric） and identified by X-ray diffraction the neoformed phases by the pozzolanic reaction, to show that it is not sufficient to simply define the pozzolanicity of products based on lime consumption since it does not take into account the nature of the phases formed. The size of the particles used in the test samples also has a determining effect on the quantity of lime consumed. Before comparing results, it is necessary to ensure that the size of the particles （of the global ash and its constituents） be the same. Two distinct neoformed ohases appear： CSH in the largest granular fractions （d〉 40 μm） and C3AH6 in the smaller fractions.     

Effects of magnetic field on fluidization properties of magnetic pearls

An experimental study of the influence of external magnetic field on the fluidization behavior of magnetic pearls was carried out. Magnetic pearls are a magnetic form of iron oxide that mainly consists of Fe2O3 which are recovered from a high-volume power plant fly ash from pulverized coal combustion. Due to its abundance, low price and particular physical and chemical properties, magnetic pearls can be used as a heavy medium for minerals or solid waste dry separation based on density difference. This paper introduces the properties of magnetic pearls and compares the performance of magnetic pearls fluidised bed operation with or without an external magnetic field. Experimental results show that an external magnetic field significantly improves the fluidization performance of magnetic pearls such as uniformity and stability.     

Alkali activated fly ash: effect of admixtures on paste rheology

In this paper, an investigation related to the rheological behaviour of alkali-activated fly-ash pastes (AAFA) is described. Those pastes were prepared by mixing the fly ash with an alkaline dissolution containing 85% of a 12.5 M NaOH solution and 15% of waterglass and adding some commercial chemical admixtures usually used in the Portland cement concrete fabrication, like lignosulphonates, melamines (first and second generation products) and polycarboxylates (latest generation). The fly ash rheological data were determined by rotational viscometry measurements as well as by the use of the flow table test. Results indicate that chemicals admixtures used do not work the same in the Portland cement systems than in alkali-activated fly ash systems. As a general rule, it seems that the most efficient admixtures for these new cementitious pastes (AAFA) are those based in polycarboxylates.     

Observations on the rheological response of alkali activated fly ash suspensions: the role of activator type and concentration

This paper reports the influence of activator type and concentration on the rheological properties of alkali-activated fly ash suspensions. A thorough investigation of the rheological influences (yield stress and plastic viscosity) of several activator parameters, including: (i) the cation type and concentration of alkali hydroxide and (ii) the alkali-to-binder ratio (n) and silica modulus (M_s), and (iii) the volume of the activation solution, on the suspension rheology is presented. The results indicate a strong dependence on the cation and its concentration in the activation solution. The viscosity of the activation solution and the volumetric solution-to-powder ratio are shown to most strongly influence the plastic viscosity of the suspension. The suspension yield stress is predominantly influenced by the changes in fly ash particle surface charge and the ionic species in the activator. A shift from non-Newtonian to Newtonian flow behavior is noted in the case of silicate-based suspensions for M_s?≤?1.5. This behavior, which is not observed at higher M_S values, or when the fly ash is dispersed in hydroxide solutions or pure water, is hypothesized to be caused by colloidal siliceous species present in this system, or surface charge effects on the fly ash particles. Comparisons of the rheological response of alkali-activated suspensions to that of portland cement-water suspensions are also reported.     

水泥粉煤灰加固有机质土的试验研究

对于高有机质含量的泻湖相软土,单纯采用水泥不能有效提高该软土的力学性能,因此提出了采用水泥和粉煤灰作为固化剂的加固方法。通过不同水泥掺入量、粉煤灰掺入量和龄期下水泥土的无侧限抗压强度试验,分析了水泥粉煤灰固化土的强度规律和变形规律,探讨了水泥和粉煤灰加固高有机质含量软土的机理。结果表明,粉煤灰对于水泥试块的早期强度影响较小,对后期强度影响较大;粉煤灰最佳掺入量为12％,超过此掺入量水泥土强度反而会降低,粉煤灰水泥土的破坏应变、E50也在粉煤灰掺量为12％时分别达到最低值和最大值。水泥掺加粉煤灰可有效地提高高有机质含量软土的强度。     

粉煤灰处理软土地基的试验研究

利用淤泥质粘土掺入不同比例的粉煤灰, 分别进行了渗透、固结、直接剪切及三轴剪切试验, 详细研究了粘土掺入粉煤灰后其工程力学性能变化的特征以及粉煤灰加固软土的机理。试验结果证实, 利用粉煤灰处理软土地基是-种所需投资较少且有明显效果的方法, 并可带来良好的环境效益和社会效益。     

无石棉自增强摩擦材料的研制与性能研究

为了消除石棉基增强摩擦制动材料对环境和人体的危害，以α－氨丙基三乙氧基硅烷为活化剂，对取自粉煤灰的漂珠进行活化处理，再以其作为基础增强填料替代石棉，成功地研制出新型无石棉自增强摩擦材料．这种新材料的基本组成除增强剂漂珠外，还有树脂－橡胶粘结剂和摩擦改善剂等．检测和试用结果证明，在给定的试验条件下，与石棉增强的摩擦材料相比，这种无石棉自增强摩擦材料的摩擦学性能好，制动时间短，偶件的磨损很小，而且漂珠价廉易得，并为粉煤灰的再生利用找到了一条新途径     

Coating metals on micropowders by magnetron sputtering

Magnetron sputtering was used to coat various metals on micropowder surfaces. By using this method, the fine particles are better dispersed and can therefore be coated more homogeneously. The micro-powders used include cenospheres from fly ash of coal-burning electric power plants （diameter 40-200 μm and particle density 0.7 ± 0.1 g/cm^3）, as well as carborundum particles of different sizes. Aluminum, silver, copper, cobalt and nickel were used as the coating metals. Tests showed that the coated metal film was compact adhering tightly on the base powders, and the coated powders possess adequate flow properties.     

Flow characteristics of mixed particles with a simulated cold state in moving bed reactor

The funnel flow of high-temperature circulating ash and coal in moving bed with height restrictions directly influences the efficiency of coal pyrolysis and scale-up design of reactor. It is one of the technical bottlenecks in the use of moving bed. In order to provide data support for the particle flow and pyrolysis model close to the actual working conditions in the future, this study describes the flow characteristics of solid–solid mixed particles in a cold two-dimensional moving bed. The results indicate that flow characteristics of mixed particles in the quartz sand–coal system are better than those in the cold circulating ash–coal system. The optimized conditions were obtained, the insert half angle is 20° and a heat carrier to coal ratio of 6:1. As the mixture progressed downstream, secondary separation of the heat carrier and coal become apparent. Furthermore, mixture residence time has been investigated to explore the relationship between regional residence time and to predict accurately the actual pyrolysis progress in pyrolyzer.     

改良黄土强度特性与工程处置试验研究

本文针对山西朔州典型黄土,利用素黄土与石灰粉煤灰、石灰水泥、水泥粉煤灰三种改良黄土,进行了击实特性、抗剪强度特性及崩解特性试验研究,提出了黄土改良的最佳方案,并采用该方案对山西某煤矿电梯井填方段进行了数值模拟分析,验证了石灰粉煤灰改良黄土工程应用的可行性。试验结果表明:粉煤灰与黄土形成致密的混合结构,石灰的掺入,激活了粉煤灰的活性,发生了一系列的水化反应,使改良黄土的强度大大提高,改良黄土在物理力学性质方面有明显改善。     

IMPACT BEHAVIOR OF POLYVINYL ALCOHOL FIBER REINFORCED CEMENTITIOUS COMPOSITES BEAMS

The paper presents results of an investigation conducted to study the impact resistance of polyvinyl alcohol fiber reinforced cementitious composite (PVA-FRCC) beams containing silica fume and fly ash. PVA-FRCC beam specimens of size 100 × 100 × 400 mm were tested under impact loading. The specimen incorporated four different volume fractions i.e. 0, 0.5%, 1.0% and 2.0% of corrugated PVA fibers. Silica fume and fly ash were added for the specimens containing PVA fibers volume fraction of 2.0%. The drop-weight type impact tests were conducted on the test specimens and the number of blows of the hammer required to induce first visible crack and ultimate failure of the specimen were recorded. The results are presented in terms of number of blows required, impact ductility as well as impact energy at first crack and ultimate failure. It has been observed that specimen containing 2.0% PVA fibers gave the best performance under impact loading, and that impact resistance was improved after silica fume and fly ash were added.     

煤粉燃烧的灰渣沉积数值模型研究

对国内外20多年来灰渣模型研究的进展进行综述, 详细的探讨了灰渣形成、灰渣在燃烧场中的运动、灰渣在壁面的碰撞和粘附、灰渣层的成长和强度的变化、通过灰渣层的传热过程以及灰渣层的存在对燃烧工况的影响情况. 文章还指出, 在研究存在强烈相变的灰渣沉积情况时, 现有灰渣模型的假设过于简单. 作为补充, 文中建立了一种颗粒壁上燃烧模型, 给出了主要的计算思路, 用于液态排渣炉内灰渣沉积特性的数值研究.      

水平圆柱薄壳非轴对称载荷作用内力分析

近年来大直径圆柱形薄壳结构烟风煤粉管道的使用呈增长趋势.水平圆柱薄壳在非轴对称载荷作用下的内力常按整体梁理论或壳的无矩理论计算,无法反映载荷作用边界的弯曲应力.本文结合圆柱壳的无矩理论和弯矩理论,得到了简支水平圆柱薄壳在任意高度内部积灰(粉)、风、雪、自重、地震作用下的内力解析解,且理论解与三维有限元分析结果非常接近.研究结果可推广到类似的非轴对称变形圆柱壳,并为水平薄壁圆柱壳结构设计提供依据.     

A qualitative study on the pulsatile flow phenomenon in a dense fly ash pneumatic conveyor

Understanding of the dynamic particulate flow structures within a dense gas-fly ash pneumatic conveyor must be improved in order to better aid its design guidance.The complex pulsatile movement of the gas-fly ash mixture dominates the flow performance within the pipeline,and historically,non-invasive measurement devices such as the electrical capacitance tomography（ECT） were often used to sufficiently capture the flow dynamics.However,inadequate studies have been conducted on the pulsatile flow phenomenon,which directly relate to the gas-fly ash two-phase flow performance.This paper aims to investigate the pulsatile flows using an ECT device.Initially,pulsatile flow patterns under various experimental conditions were obtained through ECT.Pulses within a flow were then characterised into pulse growth and decay segments,which represent the superficial fluidisation and deaeration processes during conveying.Subsequently,structural and statistical analyses were performed on the pulse growth and decay segments.Results suggested that the increasing air mass flow rate led to the decrease of the superficial fluidisation/deaeration magnitude,however,the increase of the superficial fluidisation/deaeration durations.Also,the air mass flow rate was indicated as the dominant factor in determining the pulsing statistical parameters.This research provides fundamental insights for further modelling the dense fly ash pneumatic flows.     

Characteristics of pressure fluctuations and fine coal preparation in gas-vibro fluidized bed

To improve the separation efficiency of air dense medium fluidized beds for dry coal preparation, a gas-vibro fluidized bed has been proposed in which magnetic powder is used as the heavy medium. Pressure fluctuations in the gas-vibro fluidized bed were investigated using time- and frequency-domain analysis methods. The relationship between pressure fluctuations, bubble behavior, and separation efficiency was established. The low amplitude of the standard deviation, the power spectral density (PSD), the incoherent-output PSD, and the high amplitude of the coherent-output PSD, which corresponds to the bubble behavior in the bed, were improved for coal preparation. The coal ash content was reduced from 42.55% to 16.54% by using the gas-vibro fluidized bed.     

PM2.5 in China： Measurements,sources, visibility and health effects,and mitigation

Concern over the health effects of fine particles in the ambient environment led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop the first standard for PM2.5 （particulate matter less than 2.5 μm） in 1997. The Particle Technology Laboratory at the University of Minnesota has helped to establish the PM2.5 standard by developing many instruments and samplers to perform atmospheric measurements. In this paper, we review various aspects of PM2.5, including its measurement, source apportionment, visibility and health effects, and mitigation. We focus on PM2.s studies in China and where appropriate, compare them with those obtained in the U.S. Based on accurate PM2.5 sampling, chemical analysis, and source apportionment models, the major PM2.5 sources in China have been identified to be coal combustion, motor vehicle emissions, and industrial sources. Atmospheric visibility has been found to correlate well with PM2.s concentration. Sulfate, ammonium, and nitrate carried by PM2.s, commonly found in coal burning and vehicle emissions, are the dominant contributors to regional haze in China. Short-term exposure to PM2.s is strongly associated with the increased risk of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in China. The strategy for PMzs mitigation must be based on reducing the pollutants from the two primary sources of coal-fired power plants and vehicle emissions. Although conventional Particulate Emission Control Devices （PECD） such as electrostatic precipitators in Chinese coal-fired power plants are generally effective for large particles, most of them may not have high collection efficiency of PM2.5. Baghouse filtration is gradually incorporated into the PECD to increase the PM2.5 collection efficiency. By adopting stringent vehicle emissions standard such as Euro 5 and 6, the emissions from vehicles can be gradually reduced over the years. An integrative approach, from collaboration among academia, government, and industries, can effectively manage and mitigate the PM2.s p