| Environmental Engineering |
|
|
|
|
| Characterization of zinc vapor condensation in fly ash particles using synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy |
| Xu Cai, Qun-xing Huang, Moussa-mallaye Alhadj-Mallah, Yong Chi, Jian-hua Yan |
| State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Institute for Thermal Power Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China |
|
|
|
Abstract Heavy metals released from municipal solid waste incinerators have become a major environmental concern. A comprehensive knowledge of metal vapor condensation in fly ash particles during incineration is essential for alleviating heavy metal toxicity, and for optimizing incineration process parameters and flue-gas cleaning systems. In this paper, the condensation of zinc vapor during flue-gas cooling in a 200 t/d fluidized bed incinerator and a 150 t/d moving grate incinerator was characterized and comparatively studied using high resolution synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Principal component analysis, target transformation, and linear combination fitting were employed to identify zinc species directly from size fractionated fly ash particles. The chemical reaction behaviors of different zinc species were described by thermodynamic equilibrium simulations. Consistent with previous theoretical analysis and laboratory scale tests, the condensation behavior of zinc in an industrial incineration system is mainly affected by the sulfur/chlorine ratio and the inorganic particulates. It is found that zinc chloride is the major zinc species in a moving grate incinerator but willemite dominates in the fluidized bed incinerator. The high sulfur and silica/alumina particle concentration in the fluidized bed system changes the condensation propensity of vapors of Zn compounds. Adjusting the concentrations of SO2 in flue-gas can inhibit the formation of zinc chlorides. Silica, alumina, aluminosilicates, and calcium-based compounds are potential sorbents for transforming zinc to less harmful species. To prevent toxic zinc species contained in fine particles from escaping into the atmosphere, wet scrubbers are more suitable for cleaning flue-gases in moving grate incineration systems, while improving the efficiency of dust removal is more important for fluidized bed incineration systems.
|
|
Received: 20 June 2014
Published: 04 January 2015
|
|
|
|
Viewed |
|
|
|
Full text
|
|
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
|
Cited |
|
|
|
|
| |
Shared |
|
|
|
|
| |
Discussed |
|
|
|
|
