The immobilisation of inorganic pollutants in fly-ash and other waste components

Date
1996
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This project involves the use of fly-ash and its pozzolanic activity to study the immobilisation of heavy metals. By using a waste to treat other waste the cost of treatment can be reduced significantly and in some cases products suitable for applications such as pre-formed building materials, road construction, landfilling, etc. can also be produced. Results from this study showed that products with yield strengths in excess of 18 MPa can be produced, depending on the additive and amount of additive used. These results were obtained with under atmospheric conditions and with material or product additions never exceeding 20% in total. The reaction products of the pozzolanic reaction were similar to the products of the cement hydration reactions, thus showing that fly-ash has the potential of replacing Portland cement in many of the solidification and stabilisation applications that are currently used in practice, with the added advantage that waste is being treated and that lower production costs are being obtained. The fly-ash matrices were also successful in the immobalisation of not only the heavy metals present in fly-ash, but also the metals present in spent catalysts, other waste products and the nickel present in "wastewater". These immobalisation results can possibly be improved if more work is done on refining the conditions of the system. This project, although only a small contirbution to this emerging field of research, addresses many of the aspects that are often reserched. It refers to possible immobilisation mechanisms and it addresses the immobalisation of solid pollutants, something that is, reasonably novel, since waste water has been considered to be more of a hazard in the past and is something that needs to be rectified. Finally the project shows that much work still needs to be conducted before the immobilisation techniques and mechanisms of all the metals in this system are fully understood.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie projek behels hoofsaaklik die immobilisering van swaar metale deur gebruik te maak van vliegas en sy possolaan eienskappe. 'n Afval materiaal word dus gebruik om ander afvalprodukte te behandel wat tot 'n verlaging inkoste kan lei, maar vorm ook produkte wat gebruik kan word as boumateriaal, pad konstruksie materiaal, opvulling van byvoorbeeld myne en baie ander toepassings. Die resultate van die projek toon dat sekere van die matrikse breedsterktes van so hoog as 18 MPa besit, afhangend van die toevoegings en hoeveelhede daarvan. Hierdie resultate is verkry onder atmosferiese verharding, met produk of materiaal toevoegings wat nooit 20% oorskry nie. Die resultate toon ook dat die produkte van die possolaan reaksie soortgelyk is as die produkte van die sement in sekere van die toepassings van solidifikasie en stabilisasie, wat tans in die praktyk toegepas word, te vervang. Dit het nie alleen 'n koste voordeel nie, maar ook die voordeel dat addisionele afval (vliegas)behandel word. Die vliegas matrikse was nie alleen suksesvol in die immobilisering van die swaar metale teenwoordig in die vliegas nie, maar ook vir die swaar metale in gebruikte katalisator, ander afvalprodukte en ook vir nikkel in "afvalwater". Hierdie immobilisering kan moontlik nog verder verbeter word deur die kondisies verder te verfyn. Alhoewel hierdie projek slegs 'n klein bydrae tot die nuwe navorsingsveld maak, word sekere aspekte aangespreek wat nie gewoonlik aangespreek word nie. Daar word na moontlike immobiliserings meganismes verwys en die immobilisering van vastestof kontaminante word ondersoek, iets wat nog nie eintlik ondersoek is nie, aangesien afvalwater, tot op hede, as 'n groter probleem beskou is, hoewel dit iets is wat verander behoort te word. ten slotte toon die projek dat daar nog baie ruimte vir verbetering is teen einde die immobiliserings tegnieke en meganismes van al die swaar metale in die sisteem ten volle te verstaan.
Description
Thesis (M. Ing.) -- University of Stellenbosch, 1996.
Keywords
Fly ash, Waste products, Dissertations -- Chemical engineering
Citation