Synthesis of porous carbon derived from coal tar residue via bimetallic salt activation for effective and selective adsorption of thallium(I).

As a highly toxic rare metal, the removal of thallium (Tl) from wastewater has been widely investigated, and adsorption is considered one of the most promising treatment technologies for Tl-containing contaminated water because of its cost-effectiveness, convenience, and high efficacy. In this work, coal tar residue (CTR)-based porous carbon was synthesized through K2FeO4 activation, and applied in adsorbing Tl(I). K2FeO4 could synergistically produce porosity and load iron oxide on the produced porous carbon surface because of the catalytic cracking and oxidative etching during the activation of CTR. The adsorbent was synthesized at 800 â„ƒ with a mass ratio of K2FeO4/CTR being 3 (PC3-800) showed optimal Tl(I) adsorption performance. The removal efficiency and distribution coefficient of PC3-800 were above 95 % and 104 mL/g, respectively, in a wide pH range (4-10). Furthermore, the selection and reusability of PC3-800 were favorable. The adsorption was a spontaneous, exothermic, and entropy increase process. The adsorption process was dominated by electrostatic attraction, surface complexation, and surface oxidation. The results suggested that removing Tl(I) from contaminated water via CTR-based porous carbon was feasible.

Solid-oil separation of coal tar residue to reduce polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons via microwave-assisted extraction.

Coal tar residue (CTR) is acknowledged as hazardous industrial waste with high contents of carbon and toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Microwave-assisted extraction for separating tar and residue in CTR was investigated to reduce the content of PAHs. The key operating factors such as solvent type, solvent addition amount, radiation temperature, and radiation time in the extraction process were evaluated. Results showed that extreme extraction performance in the solvent with cyclic structure was attained, and an enhancement in extraction efficiency was achieved in elevated solvent addition amount, radiation temperature, or radiation time in a certain range. The optimized conditions were determined as benzene was chosen as extractant, solvent-solid ratio of 5:1 mL/g, radiation temperature of 75 °C, and radiation time of 10 min. Relative extraction efficiency of CTR and reduction efficiency of 16 priority control PAHs were 28.70% and 92.82%, respectively. According to the characterizations of extracted residue (MCTR) and tar (MCT) under optimum experimental conditions, it is possible to convert them into value-added products (carbon materials, solid fuels, or chemicals). Solid-oil separation via microwave-assisted extraction is a safe and high-valued utilization approach for CTR.

Immobilization of hexavalent chromium in soil-plant environment using calcium silicate hydrate synthesized from coal gangue.

The presence of excessive hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in the contaminated soils and plants has become a global environmental issue due to its toxicity and carcinogenicity. This work investigated the feasibility of immobilizing Cr(VI) in the soil-plant environment using calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) synthesized from coal gangue. The results revealed that the C-S-H amendment increased soil pH and organic matter (OM), which further promoted Cr(VI) immobilization. Results also revealed that exchangeable and carbonate bound fractions of Cr were either converted into Fe/Mn oxide and OM bound fractions of Cr or hardly released residual fraction of Cr due to C-S-H treatment. The C-S-H accelerated conversion of Cr(VI) into Cr(III) promoting plant growth and alleviating the toxic effect of Cr(VI). Cr(VI) was mainly immobilized and accumulated in the plant roots which resulted in comparatively lower Cr(VI) content in the edible part of plants. The exchangeable fraction of Cr in soil could be used as a bioavailability evaluation index of Cr(VI) in plants. In short, C-S-H was proved to be a practical and environmentally friendly amendment for in-situ immobilization of Cr(VI) contaminated soil.

Mobility behavior and environmental implications of trace elements associated with coal gangue: a case study at the Huainan Coalfield in China.

The potential environmental hazards posed by trace elements have assumed serious proportions due to their toxicity, bioavailability and geochemical behavior. The toxicity and mobility of trace elements in coal gangue is dependent on the elements' chemical properties, therefore, the quantification of the different forms of trace elements is more significant than the estimation of their total concentrations. In this study, the mobility behavior of trace elements in coal gangue from the Huainan Coalfield was studied to evaluate the potential eco-toxicity of the trace elements. Sequential extraction was employed to analyze the fractionation behavior of trace elements in coal gangue. The selected trace elements (As, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Se, Sn, V and Zn) are predominantly found in silicate-bound, sulfide-bound and carbonate-bound fractions. The correlation of the element concentration with ash yield, aluminum, calcium and iron-sulfur indicates that As, Co, Cu, Ni, Se and Zn in coal gangue are mainly associated with sulfide minerals, which could release from coal gangue easily and can disperse into the environment as a result of long-term natural weathering. The Risk Assessment Code reveals that the trace elements (Mn, Cr, Se, Ni, Zn, As and Cu) can pose serious environmental risks to the ecosystem. The fractionation profiles of other elements (Co, Sn and V) indicate no risk or low risk to the environment.