clay and boric-acid

The increase of power plant capacity has led to the production of an increasing amount of fly ash that causes high environmental impact in Turkey. Some of the fly ash is utilized within the fired brick industry but high sulfate-containing fly ash creates severe problems during sintering of the fired brick. This study attempted to investigate the potential for converting high sulfate-containing fly ash into useful material for the construction industry by the addition of boric acid. The chemical and mineralogical composition of fly ash and clay were investigated. Boric acid (H(3)BO(3)) was added to fly ash-clay mixtures with up to 5 wt.%. Six different series of test samples were produced by uniaxial pressing. The samples were fired at the industrial clay-brick firing temperatures of 800, 900 and 1000 degrees C. The microstructures of the fired samples were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and some physical and mechanical properties were measured. It was concluded that the firing at conventional brick firing temperature of high sulfate fly ash without any addition of boric acid resulted in very weak strength bricks. The addition of boric acid and clay simultaneously to the high sulfate- containing fly ash brick dramatically increased the compressive strength of the samples at a firing temperature of 1000 degrees C by modifying the sintering behaviour of high sulfate fly ash.

Topics: Aluminum Silicates; Boric Acids; Carbon; Clay; Coal Ash; Compressive Strength; Conservation of Natural Resources; Construction Materials; Hot Temperature; Industrial Waste; Particulate Matter; Power Plants; Refuse Disposal; Sulfates; Turkey

A two-step process for boron recovery from clay waste is proposed in the present work. The leachate obtained after the clay waste was leached with sulphuric acid solution was treated with Diaion CRB-02 - a boron-specific resin for the separation of boron from the alkaline species in the leachate. The batch studies showed that a maximum boron recovery of about 95% was obtained at a pH value of 8.0, an initial boron concentration of 50 mg L(-1), a contact time of 24 h and a temperature of 25 degrees C. Equilibrium sorption data fitted the Langmuir isotherm. Column studies were carried out using different inlet boron concentrations and flow rates at a pH value of 8.0 and a temperature of 25 degrees C. The Yoon-Nelson and Thomas models were used to describe the dynamic behaviour of the column and to determine the column kinetic parameters. By these models and graphical integration, the column capacity values were found to be 7.3-8.5 mg g(-1) and 7.1-8.5 mg g(-1), respectively, and the 50% breakthrough time values were found to be 21-155 min and 19-149 min, respectively, depending on the inlet concentration and flow rate. It was observed that about 76% of the boron in the leachate solution could be recovered at an inlet boron concentration of 250 mg L(-1), a flow rate of 2.5 mL min(-1), a pH value of 8.0 and a temperature of 25 degrees C.

Topics: Adsorption; Aluminum Silicates; Boric Acids; Boron; Clay; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Resins, Synthetic; Temperature; Thermodynamics; Time Factors; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Purification