Multifunctional Sorbent Technology (MUST) for the Recovery of Critical Minerals from Coal Wastewaters
Poster for the Critical Minerals & Minerals Mini-Symposium , Arlin
Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Shi, Fan.
Poster for the Critical Minerals & Minerals Mini-Symposium , Arlin
It has been reported that among the various geologic storage options, deep saline aquifers have the largest estimated capacity for CO 2 storage. Obtaining knowledge of possible artificially geochemically induced changes to the permeability and porosity of host CO 2 storage deposits will enable us to gain insight on long-term reservoir behavior under CO 2 storage conditions. An experimental study of the interaction of CO 2 /brine/rock on saline formations was conducted in a static system under CO 2 storage conditions. Chemical interactions in the Cedar Keys-Lawson Formation carbonate during exposure to CO 2 and brine under sequestration conditions were studied. Samples were exposed to the simulated in-situ reaction conditions for one and six months. The samples were exposed to a model brine at 55 °C and CO 2 pressure of 23.8 MPa (3,500 psig). Computed tomography (CT), x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), brine composition, core porosity, and core permeability analyses were conducted prior to and after the exposure experiments. Preliminary permeability measurements obtained from the core samples showed changes after they were exposed to CO 2 -saturated brine for one and six months. This observation suggests that mineral dissolution and mineral precipitation could occur in the host deposit altering its characteristics for CO 2 storage over time. The 3D images of the pore space clearly illustrate the degree of dissolution that occurred during exposure. It is noted that the dissolution that occurred during the six-month exposure could have enhanced the connectivity between voids. This may contribute the increase of permeability after the CO 2 /brine exposure. In addition, the primary minerals comprising the core are dolomite and gypsum. Both minerals could dissolve in the CO 2 /brine environment resulting in the increase of permeability after the six-month exposure.
Sorbent development for CO2 capture and CMs recovery.
Capturing CO2 from air is urgent to battle against the climate change. Traditional CO2 capture by alkaline solution or aqueous amine has high regeneration cost, equipment corrosion, and amine leakage. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are promising alternatives with low corrosion, non-toxicity, and biodegradable nature. Functionalized DESs can capture and convert CO2 at low partial pressures. Developing reactive DESs for efficient CO2 capture needs a foundational understanding of the reaction-transport coupling of CO2 at the air-DES interface. In this study, we develop a deep learning potential (DLP) to investigate the absorption and reaction of CO2 at the air-DES interface (DES: 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium 2-cyanopyrrolide ([Emim][2-CNpyr]) and ethylene glycol (EG)). The DLP model allows us to simulate chemical reactions at a lower computational cost with ab initio accuracy. By analyzing reaction free energy surfaces, molecular interactions among CO2, DES components and reaction products, and transport of CO2 through the interface, we identify three main reaction pathways of CO2 at the interface: forming carboxylate with [Emim], carbamate with [2-CNpyr], and carbonate with EG. The mechanistic understanding of CO2 chemisorption at the interface will facilitate the development of novel direct air capture technology using DESs.
Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater generated from coal-fired power plants contain potentially harmful heavy metal pollutants that pose a threat to public health and clean water. In this work, we present a water stable polyethylenimine-n,n’-methylenebisacrylamide (PEI-MBAA) functionalized SiO 2 solid sorbent material (PMS-1.2/1/4) and investigate its metal adsorption kinetics, selectivity, regenerability, and space velocity. The kinetic studies of six of the toxic heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Se, and Hg) prepared with single elements in Milli-Q water showed the effect of chemical bonding and intraparticle mass transfer resistance on the sorption process. The selectivity studies demonstrated the significant adsorption efficiency toward trace-level heavy metals (Se, Cd, U, Al, etc.) from authentic industrial FGD wastewater. Through five consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles with the FGD (uptake)-citrate (release)-based buffer pair, the sorbent showed high heavy metal removal ability and good reusability. The maximum flow rate for the removal of Se from industrial FGD wastewater was determined to be as high as 8 bed volumes/minute of the sorbent bed. Finally, the results demonstrate the PMS-1.2/1.4 sorbent is a promising candidate for the removal of heavy metals from practical aqueous solutions.
Here this study reports energy-efficient and water-saving microwave-accelerated regeneration of sorbent (MARS) for dilute carbon capture from the ambient air. The experimental studies indicated that the CO 2 desorption rate from the chemisorbents increased with microwave output under near-isothermal conditions at near room temperature. The reduced activation energy of MARS, i.e., 20–28 kJ/mol, indicated enhanced CO 2 desorption kinetics by microwave-induced rotational–vibrational (rovibrational) coupling transitions, primarily due to the highly polarized feature of the carbamate (CO 2 -PEI). The instant and selective delivery of microwave energy to the targeted polarized C–N bonds at room temperature is particularly advantageous for energy-efficient direct air capture. The experimental results also demonstrated a good working capacity of 0.6–1.4 mmol of CO 2 /g and a promising rapid MARS-DAC process with microwave swing. As it does not require steam regeneration and heat exchanger, a simple MARS process is attractive for CO 2 capture in water-stressed regions.
The invention provides a method for the production of graphene-structured products. The method generally comprises contacting at a conversion temperature ranging from about 850° C. to about 1100° C. in an inert atmosphere coal with a molten salt to produce a graphene-structured product. In an alternate embodiment, the method comprises contacting at a conversion temperature ranging from about 850° C. to about 1100° C. in an inert atmosphere coal with a molten salt to produce a graphene-structured product; and, separating a rare earth element from the graphene-structured product.
Investigated steam gasification and pyrolysis of four different type of plastics using a drop tube reactor.
2022 International Pittsburgh Coal conference, Pittsburgh, PA, September 19-22, 2022
2022 International Pittsburgh Coal Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, September 19-22, 2022
2022 International Pittsburgh Coal Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, September 19-22, 2022
ACS2022-Poster final for big data study.
This report briefly reviews 1) the physicochemical properties of feedstocks; 2) hydrogen/syngas production from plastic gasification and co-gasification of plastic with coal and/or biomass, including the discussions on effects of operating conditions on H2 production; and 3) the mechanism of plastic gasification, including the formation and decomposition of char/tar during gasification process.
2022 Carbon Management Project Review Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, August 15-19, 2022
This study investigated behavior of different mixtures of waste plastics and coal refuse and their potential synergy in steam co-gasification. Co-gasification is an interesting alternative technology to recycle under-utilized waste streams and generate syngas that can be used to produce energy and valuable fuels/chemicals.
A novel, directly injected solid fiber sorbent is synthesized from a solvent-stable, epoxy-crosslinked basic immobilized amine sorbent (BIAS) for CO 2 capture. Leach resistance of the BIAS organics toward 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone/H 2 O (90/10, fiber solvent) reaches near 100% at the expense of CO 2 capture and is achieved by increasing the extent of crosslinking. The optimized fiber sorbent, prepared with an N,N-diglycidyl-4-glycidyloxyaniline/polyethylenimine (PEI)-0.35/1 wt. ratio, retains 79.2% of PEI and captures 0.37 (direct air capture [DAC]) and 0.67 (postcombustion) mmol CO 2 g-fiber -1 . A nonoptimized prototype hollow fiber exhibits a stable 0.2 mmol CO 2 g-fiber -1 during DAC cycling and is assembled into a ten-fiber module. In conclusion, these results demonstrate a large step toward practical application of this material.
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We report the ubiquitous and growing global reliance on rare earth elements (REEs) for modern technology and the need for reliable domestic sources underscore the rising trend in REE-related research. Adsorption-based methods for REE recovery from liquid waste sources are well-positioned to compete with those of solvent extraction, both because of their expected lower negative environmental impact and simpler process operations. Functionalized silica represents a rising category of low cost and stable sorbents for heavy metal and REE recovery. These materials have collectively achieved high capacity and/or high selective removal of REEs from ideal solutions and synthetic or real coal wastewater and other leachate source. These sorbents are competitive with conventional materials, such as ion exchange resins, activated carbon; and novel polymeric materials like ion-imprinted particles and metal organic frameworks (MOFs). This critical review first presents a data mining analysis for rare earth element recovery publications indexed in Web of science, highlighting changes in REE recovery research foci and confirming the sharply growing interest in functionalized silica sorbents. A detailed examination of sorbent formulation and operation strategies to selectively separate heavy (HREE), middle (MREE), and light (LREE) REEs from the aqueous sources is presented. Selectivity values for sorbents were largely calculated from available figure data and gauged the success of the associated strategies, primarily: (1) silane-grafted ligands, (2) impregnated ligands, and (3) bottom-up ligand/silica hybrids. These were often accompanied by successful co-strategies, especially bite angle control, site saturation, and selective REE elution. Recognizing the need to remove competing fouling metals to achieve purified REE “baskets,” we highlight techniques for eliminating these species from acid mine drainage (AMD) and suggest a novel adsorption-based process for purified REE extraction that could be adapted to different water systems.