Chemical Weathering in a Hypersaline Effluent Irrigated Dry Ash Dump: An Insight from Physicochemical and Mineralogical Analysis of Drilled Cores

M.W. Gitari, L.F. Petrik, K. Reynolds

Abstract


Accumulation of high ionic strength effluents (brines) that require disposal in inland industries where water recycling is necessary due to scarcity is a major challenge. A coal combustion power utility in South Africa utilizing a dry ash disposal system produces 1.765 Mt of fly ash per annum and also employs the zero liquid effluent discharge policy (ZLED) to manage its liquid effluents. Fly ash is conditioned for dust suppression before being conveyed to the ash dumps with the high saline effluent. The saline effluents results from various processes employed for maximum utilization, upgrading and re-use of various mine water and industrial effluents such as RO, EDR, softening and ion exchange in an effort to adhere to ZLED policy. In the ash dumps it is further conditioned by irrigation with the high saline effluents, therefore the ash acts as a repository for the salts. This study is an attempt to understand the chemical weathering of the effluent conditioned fly ash and species mobility in a dry disposal scenario. A combination of leaching tests was performed for fresh ash and drilled cores to estimate the highly leachable species. Results from DIN-S4 tests of the fresh and weathered ash reveal that Ca, K, Na, Mg, Ba, SO42-, Se, Mo and Cr are highly leached. Leaching tests also revealed that major soluble components in the solution at equilibrium are Ca, Na, SO42- and K. Weathering profiles of the ash dump cores were observed to follow a similar trend. The greatest weathering was observed to take place at the top layer (0.55-3 m depth) in the weathered ash cores (15 years and older), showing that infiltration of rain water over time has a profound effect on the decrease of the pore water pH.  Analysis of the extracted pore water in each of the different weathered ash cores by depth indicated the mobility of several elements through the ash. Increased cation exchange capacity at 4-5 m depth suggests a transient mineralization zone.

Key words:  Weathered fly ash; Pore water; Ash dumps; Hypersaline effluents; X-ray diffraction analysis; DIN-S4 test; Cation exchange capacity


Keywords


Key words: Weathered fly ash; Pore water; Ash dumps; Hypersaline effluents; X-ray diffraction analysis; DIN-S4 test; Cation exchange capacity

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/j.est.1923847920110202.110

DOI (PDF): http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/g2088

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