AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Task 2.8 - Mercury Speciation and Capture in Scubber Solutions

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigation into health risks associated with mercury emissions from utility steam generators, municipal waste combustion units, and other sources was mandated by the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990. In anticipation of mercury emission regulation, attention has been focused on quantification of mercury emissions, which require verifiable sampling and analytical techniques. Several sampling and analytical methods are currently under the final stages of development as well as a variety of emission control methods. In particular, wet scrubber systems designed for S2 control in coal-fired utilities have been targeted for mercury control. Conventional wet-scrubbers remove mercury in a variety of soluble oxidized forms. Oxidized mercury is highly water-soluble and can be removed by scrubber slurry, theoretically limited only by gas-film mass transfer. However, since some oxidized mercury forms such as HgClz are borh soluble and volatile, the final fate of mercury trapped in scrubber solutions is unclear. Elemental mercury is not water-soluble, remaining in the vapor state at temperatures through pollution control devices and exiting the stack into the environment. However, notable exceptions to this rule exist. Depending on the type of mercury-sampling method used, an increase ofs 10% in elemental mercury concentrations across wet scrubbers has been metiured but is yet unconllrmed. Also, significant amounts of elemental mercury (metallic form) have been removed during wet scrubber maintenance. In addition, questions concerning 1) the initial speciation between oxidized and elemental forms of mercury in flue gas from coal- fired boilers and 2) the effects of scrubber slurry composition and pH on the mercury species have been raised.

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Task 2.10 - Advanced Sampling and Analysis of Fine Particulates

The objectives of this study are to develop a sampling method to capture the fine particulate and classiyi the particulate according to their size and chemistry. When developing the sampling method, two criteria need to be met: 1) the particulate are randomly dispersed on the sampling media and 2) the sampling media can be put directly into a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for analysis to prevent any alteration of the particulate.  Several methods for the sampling and analysis of fine particulate are to be tested. Each sampling test will be analyzed using the FPT technique for collecting the size, shape, and chemical composition of 1500 to 2000 individual fine particulate. The FPT data will be classified using cluster analysis and principal component analysis to provide a classification system for these particles.  As reported previously, particulate samples were collected using the advanced hybrid particulate collector (AHPC) on the inlet port of the particulate test combustor (PTC) when the Absaloka coal was burned in early April. The samples were collected at the inlet rather than the  outlet port because of the loading that was expected and the temperature at which the PTC was run. Samples at the inlet were expected to see a much greater particulate loading than at the outlet because of the efficiency of the particulate collection device on the PTC. Also, polycarbonate filters cannot withstand temperatures above 230oC for long periods of time; therefore, a quick loading time was required. The samples were briefly scanned and photographed using the SEM to determine the best particulate loading time. The particulate were too close together on the 20- and 30-second polycarbonate filters to be able to analyze individual particles. The particle dispersion on the vitreous carbon substrate appeared to be the best of the four samples.  Aerosols were produced from pure 1.0 M aqueous solutions of NaCl, Na2S04, (NHq)2SOo, NHqNO~, and K20 (KOH) using a Tri-Jet Model 3460 aerosol generator and collected by direct impingement on a vitreous carbon substrate. Because NaCl is the normal aerosol produced with the generator, it was briefly examined using SEM to determine the degree of dispersion. Good dispersion with nearly all particulate size below 2 pm and the majority in the O.1-pm range was achieved with a substrate collection time of 2-3 minutes. The brief examination also demonstrated that the sample could be introduced directly into the SEM for analysis with no prior carbon coating or other preparation and that charging of the sample was minimal.

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Task 2.0 - Air Quality Assessment, Control, and Analytical Methods Subtask 2.11 - Lactic Acid FGD Additives From Sugar Beet Wastewater

Organic buffers maintain the pH of the scrubber slurry in flue gas desulfurization (FGD) as  the SO2 dissolves at the air-liquid interface. Inexpensive acids with an appropriate pKa are  required for this application. The pKa of lactic acid (3.86) is between that of the interface and the recirculating slurry and will make soluble calcium ion available in large amounts. Currently lactic acid is somewhat expensive for this use, but this project will develop a new source of inexpensive lactate.    Microbial action during the storage and processing of sugar beets forms lactic acid in concentrations as high 14 g/L in the processing water. The concentrations are lower than those occurring in conventional fermentation production of lactic acids, but since a considerable amount of water is involved in the processing of sugar beets in the Red River Valley (1 million gallons/day), a substantial amount of lactic acid or calcium lactate could be recovered as a by- product for use in FGD and other applications.

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Task 1.13 - Data Collection and Database Development for Clean Coal Technology By-Products Characteristics and Management Practices

Information from DOE projects and commercial endeavors in fluidized-bed combustion (FBC) and coal gasification is the focus of the task reported here. The primary goal is to provide an easily accessible compilation of characterization information on the by-products from these processes to government agencies and industry to facilitate sound regulatory and management decisions. Additional written documentation will facilitate the preparation of an updated final version of the DOE report to Congress on barriers to CCB utilization.    The information assembled will be valuable to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its upcoming decision on the waste status of FBC by-products and had to be submitted to EPA by April 1997. This effort facilitates interaction between DOE and industry regarding input to EPA. The effort of DOE FETC to provide this type of information to EPA is consistent with the recommendation in the DOE Report to Congress on ash barriers that a determination placing CCT by-products under RCRA Subtitle D for solid wastes is needed if these materials are to be utilized. Several DOE projects have already investigated utilization of these materials, so this is an opportunity to give this information the emphasis it deserves.

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Task 1.13 - Data Collection and Database Development for Clean Coal Technology By-Product Characteristics and Management Practices

U.S. Department of Energy Federal Energy Technology Center-Morgantown (DOE FETC) efforts in the areas of fossil fuels and clean coal technology (CCT) have included involvement with both conventional and advanced process coal conversion by-products. In 1993, DOE submitted a Report to Congress on "Barriers to the Increased Utilization of Coal Combustion Desulfurization Byproducts by Governmental and Commercial Sectors" that provided an outline of activities to remove the barriers identified in the report. DOE charged itself with participation in this process, and the work proposed in this document facilitates DOE's response to its own recommendations for action. The work reflects DOE's commitment to the coal combustion by-product (CCB) industry, to the advancement of clean coal technology, and to cooperation with other government agencies.    Information from DOE projects and commercial endeavors in fluidized-bed combustion (FBC) and coal gasification is the focus of this task. The primary goal is to provide an easily accessible compilation of characterization information on the by-products from these processes to government agencies and industry to facilitate sound regulatory and management decisions. Additional written documentation will facilitate the preparation of an updated final version of background information collected for DOE in preparation of the Report to Congress on barriers to CCB utilization.

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Task 1.15 - Enhanced Bioremediation of Coal Tar-Contaminated Soil

The remediation of sites where soils have been contaminated with hydrophobic organic compounds is a major problem. This is especially true for manufactured gas plants (MGP) and similar industries. Gasification of fossil fuels has resulted in the production of tars that contain polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are of concern because they are persistent in the environment and because many of them are carcinogenic. When soils contain very high concentrations of PAHs and other tar components, it is generally most feasible to use a chemical-physical remediation technique such as incineration. However, when the contaminant concentrations are medium to low, the most inexpensive technology is generally biological treatment. Biological treatment is an environmentally acceptable method of remediation that is relatively low-cost for many organic contaminants. PAHs and similar hydrophobic compounds, however, present major challenges to the microbial methods. These problems can be broken down into two related areas: mass transfer and bioavailability.    The water volubility of most PAW is very small, and they have very low vapor pressures. As a result the diffkion of the sorbed PAHs to a location where a biodegrading microorganism can encounter it is often limiting. Complicating this is that especially in aged samples, the PAHs are bound so strongly to soil components, they are not available for the microorganisms. These two phenomena can be better understood by examination of a typical biodegradation curve, such as might be observed for mixed PAHs. In Figure 1, there are three phases of the biodegradation process plotted with respect to time. In the first phase, concentrations are changing only slowly as the microbes adapt to the conditions, grow to a larger population, and begin to biodegrade the PAHs. The second phase is the phase of rapid, often logarithmic, biodegradation. The third and last phase is that period when available concentrations of PAHs are dropping so that the microorganisms cannot degrade them. The rate observed during the second phase is dependent on the size of the microbial population that can degrade the contaminants, the availability of the contaminants, and suitable nutrients (e.g., phosphorus) and electron acceptors (e.g., oxygen). When readily biodegradable contaminants are present this phase is often very rapid. However, when any one of the above factors is limiting, a reduced rate is observed.

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Task 1.16 - Enhanced Mobility of Dense Nonaqueous-Phase Liquids (DNAPLs) Using Dissolved Humic Acids

Chlorinated solvent contamination is widespread across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) complex and other industrial facilities. Because of the physical properties of dense nonaqueous-phase liquids (DNAPLs), current treatment technologies are generally incapable of completely removing contamination from the source area. Incomplete removal means that the residual DNAPL WN persist as a long-term source of groundwater contamination. When DNALPs occur in the subsurface, they resist remediation, owing to low water volubility, high viscosity and interracial tension, and microbial recalcitrance. Because of their high density and polarity, they are usually found sorbed to aquifer solids or in pools on impermeable materials. Surfactants have been used with some success to reduce interracial tension between the aqueous and organic phases and improve volubility of DNAPLs. However, surfactants are expensive and toxic and exhibit an oxygen demand. An alternative is the use of dissolved humic acids in improving DNAPL mobilization and solubilization. Humic acids, a natural form of organic carbon, are abundant, inexpensive, and nontoxic; biodegrade slowly (low oxygen demand,2608 ); and have excellent mobilization properties. The present work is to establish the feasibility of using hurnates for enhancing DNAPL remediation.

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Subtask 1.17 - Subcritical Water Extraction of Mercury From Soils and Sediments

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) "National Sediment Quality Survey" lists the top pollutants responsible for toxicity in watersheds as 1) PCBS (polychlorinated biphenyls), 2) mercury, and 3) other organics such as PAHs polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and pesticides. In addition, these same pollutants are major contributors to chemical pollution on U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other contaminated sites (e.g., industrial sites and harbors). An ideal remediation method would allow cost-effective removal of both organic and mercury contamination using a single process.    The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) has demonstrated that controlling the temperature (and to a lesser extent, the pressure) of water can dramatically change its ability to extract organics and inorganic from matrices ranging from soils and sediments to waste sludges and coal. The dielectric constant of water can be changed from ca. 80 (a very polar solvent) to <5 (similar to a nonpolar organic solvent) by controlling the temperature (from ca. ambient to ca. 400oC) and pressure (from ea. 5 to 350 bar). The EERC has shown that hazardous organic pollutants such as pesticides, PAHs, and PCBS can be completely removed from soils, sludges, and sediments at temperatures (250"C) and pressures ( c 50 atrn) that are much milder than typically used for supercritical water processes (temperature > 374oC, pressure >221 atm). In addition, the process has been demonstrated to be particularly effective for samples containing very high levels of contaminants (e.g., parts per thousand).    The EERC has also demonstrated that mercury can be extracted using supercritical water at much harsher conditions (400"C, and >300 atm). However, the removal of mercury from contaminated solids at the lower temperature and pressure conditions (e. g., 250"C, 50 atm) has not been investigated. If successful, this project will provide the basis for using hot/liquid water to extract both organic contaminants and mercury from contaminated solids in a single-step process.

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Task 6.7.3 - Interfacial Mass Transport Effects in Composite Materials

Advanced metal-matrix composites (MMCS) consisting of titanium-based alloys possess some unique mechanical, physical, and chemical characteristics that make them highly desirable for aircraft and gas turbine engines. Tailoring MMC properties is essential for advanced product design in materials processing. The main factors that affect materials processing and, further, the nature of a metal-ceramic interface, its structure, and morphological stability is liquid surface mass transport related to adhesional wetting physical effect) and reactive wetting (chemical effect). Surfaces and interfaces dominate many of the technologically important processes in composite materials such as liquid-solid sintering and joining. The objective of this work is threefold: 1) to get insight into the role of the nonstoichiometry of chemical composition in ceramic materials used as reinforcement components in MMC processing, 2) to extend previous energetic analysis of mass transport phenomena to wetting behavior between liquid metal and the quasi-solid like skin resulting from the presolidification of liquid on nonstoichiometric solids on a scale of interatomic distance, and 3) to provide experimental verification of our concept.

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Task 6.3/6.7.4 - Engineering Performance of Advanced Structural Materials

Future energy systems will be required to fire low-grade fuels and meet higher energy conversion efficiencies than today's systems. The steam cycle used at present is-limited to a maximum temperature of 550C, because above that the stainless steel tubes deform and corrode excessively. However, to boost efficiency significantly, much higher working fluid temperatures are required. Although high-temperature alloys will suffice for the construction of these components in the near term, the greatest efficiency increases can only be reached with the use of advanced structural ceramics

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Task 6.7.3 - Interfacial Mass Transport Effects in Composite Materials

A series of TiNX and Ti(N,O)X films formed from a TiC, N2, H2, and (N2   02 ) gas mixture was deposited on aluminum ceramics at 1073 K for 5 hr at atmospheric pressure, according to the procedure described in Dekker et al. These conditions were selected because they offer a reasonable deposition rate and low chlorine content in films. The TiNX films, with two different nonstoichiometries controlled by the ratio of  to H2 and two Ti(N,O)X films with different nitrogen and oxygen content were prepared. The N2 and H2 gases were first purified in alkaline pyrogallol and dried over silica gel and further over a copper and palladium catalyst. TiCld concentration in flowing N2 and H2 (70/30) corresponded to its vapor pressure over liquid at 300 K. Film thickness was determined using a multiple interferometer. All of the films obtained were thicker than 1000 nm. Phase analysis and interatomic distances were determined by x-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) at room temperature.

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Task 7.1 - Strategic Planning

The objective of this activity is to understand the potentialities, limitations, and status of competing energy technologies in terms of scientific basis, state of development, technical barriers, cost, efficiency, policy treatment, and environmental performance for the purpose of planning and evaluating research activities under the Cooperative Agreement. This work is performed under the direction of the EERC Director and Associate Directors to provide guidance in planning the broad outline for future research under the Cooperative Agreement in keeping with industry needs and national goals.

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Short Contact Time Direct Coal Liquefaction Using a Novel Batch Reactor

The primary objective of this research is to optimize the design and operation of the bench scale batch reactor (SCTBR) for studying direct coal liquefaction at short contact times (.01 to 10 minutes or longer) . An additional objective is to study the kinetics of direct coal liquefaction particularly at short reaction times. Both of these objectives have been nearly achieved, however this work has shown the great importance of the liquefaction solvent characteristics and the solvent-catalyst interaction on the liquefaction process. This has prompted us to do a preliminary investigation of solvents and the solvent-catalyst systems in coal liquefaction. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 1) Conversion vs time data have been extended to 5 coals of ranks from lignite to low volatile bituminous coal. A broad range of reaction rates have been observed with a maximum in the high volatile bituminous range. 2) A series of direct coal liquefaction runs have been made using a range of nitrogen containing solvents that given high liquefaction conversions of coal. These runs are now being analyzed. 3) The coalification process has been shown by TGA to go through an intermediate stage which may account for the greater reactivity of bituminous coals in the direct coal liquefaction process. 4) It was shown that coal rank can be accurately determined by thermogravimetric analysis

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Application of the Granuflow Process to Pipeline-Transported Coal Slurry CRADA PC96-010, Final Report

In light of the current difficulties in processing fine coal and the potential for a significant increase in fines due to more demanding quality specifications, the U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC) has been involved in the reconstitution of the fine clean coal resulting from advanced fine coal cleaning technologies. FETC has invented and developed a new strategy that combines fine-coal dewatering and reconstitution into one step. The process reduces the moisture content of the clean coal, and alleviates handling problems related to dustiness, stickiness, flowability, and freezing. This process has been named the GranuFlow Process.  Early work successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the process for laboratory-scale vacuum filtration dewatering using asphalt emulsion. Further tests focused on the application of the process to a screen-bowl centrifuge via batch mode tests at 300 lb/hr. These tests produced roughly the same results as the laboratory filtration tests did, and they included some testing using Orimulsion, a bitumen emulsion. The Orimulsion seemed to offer greater potential for moisture reduction and was less affected by colder slurry temperatures.  Most recently, FETC has conducted several series of tests in its Coal Preparation Process Research Facility.  These tests dramatically showed the visible difference in the dewatered product by applying the GranuFlow Process, turning it from a clumpy, wet, sticky material into a granular, dry free-flowing product. In addition, it verified previous results with improvements in moisture content, dustiness, stickiness, and freezing. Orimulsion showed a significant benefit over asphalt emulsion in moisture reduction at additions more than 5%.  The overall goal of this project was to successfully apply FETC'S GranuFlow Process to improve coal slurry pipeline operations. Williams Technologies, Inc. (WTI), a leader in pipeline technology, has an interest in reducing the moisture content of the coal at the end of a coal slurry pipeline beyond what is being achieved with conventional mechanical dewatering technology. In addition, they would like to improve the handling characteristics of the dewatered coal. The GranuFlow Process has the potential of assisting in both of these areas, and its degree of applicability needed to be explored.  A formal Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between FETC and WTI was signed in November 1996. This CRADA consisted of 6 tasks progressing from preliminary scoping tests to a commercial field test. Task 1 was completed in February 1997, and it provided sufficient information about the  applicability of the GranuFlow Process to coal slurry pipelines that further testing was not needed at the present time. Thus the CRADA was terminated.

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Short Contact Time Direct Coal Liquefactionn Using a Novel Batch Reactor.  Quarterly Report. May 16 - August 15, 1996

The objective of this research is to optimize the design and operation of the bench scale batch reactor (SCTBR) for studying direct coal liquefaction at short contact times (.01 to 10 minutes or longer). Additional objectives are to study the kinetics of direct coal liquefaction particularly at short reaction times and to investigate the role of organic oxygen components of coal and their reaction pathways during coal liquefaction. Many of those objectives have already been achieved. This quarterly report discusses further kinetic studies of the liquefaction of Illinois #6 bituminous coal, Wyodak-Anderson subbituminous coal, and Pittsburgh #8 bituminous coal. The thermodynamic characteristics of the extraction stage at the start of the liquefaction process in the liquefaction of Illinois #6 coal is also discussed. Further work has also been done to attempt to clarify the role of the liquefaction solvent in the direct liquefaction process.

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