Calcium sulfate solid disposal

The processes require excess limestone, and can reduce H2S to only several hundred ppmv, or reduce sulfur only 80-95%, depending on the feed coal sulfur. They produce calcium sulfide, which must be calcined to calcium sulfate for disposal. This waste solid is also generated as a mixture with fine fly ash from the original coal and excess lime from the limestone. It is much like fluidized-bed combustion waste. The large volume and high reactivity of these wastes create a number of disposal problems (30,31). 

The calcium sulfite or sulfate solids are allowed to settle from the solution. The regenerated solution is returned to the absorber. The solids are concentrated to around 70%. Because these solids are not a mixture of the sulfite and sulfate, their properties are far superior to lime or limestone process sludge (unless oxidation is used) and disposal should be easier. 

A basic step in hydrofluoric acid manufacture is the reaction of sulfuric acid with fluorspar (calcium fluoride) to produce hydrogen fluoride and calcium sulfate. Spent alumina is also generated by the defluorination of some hydrofluoric acid alkylation products over alumina. It is disposed of or sent to the alumina supplier for recovery. Other solid residuals from hydrofluoric acid alkylation include any porous materials that may have come in contact with the hydrofluoric acid. 

Fig. 1. Schematic flowsheet of uranium processing (acid leach and ion exchange) operation. Numbers refer to the numbers that appear in the boxes on the flowsheet. Operations (3), (6), (9), and (11) may be done by thickening or filtration. Most often, thickeners are used, followed by filters. The pH of the leach slurry <4) is elevated to reduce its corrosive effect and to improve the ion-exchange operation on the uranium liquor subsequently separated, In tile ion exchange operation (7), resin contained in closed columns is alternately loaded with uranium and then eluted. The resin adsorbs the complex anions, such as UC fSO 4-. in which the uranium is present in the leach solution. Ammonium nitrate is nsed for elution, obtained by recycling the uranium filtrate liquor after pH adjustment. Iron adsoibed with the uranium is eluted with it. Iron separation operation (8) is needed inasmuch as the iron hydroxide slurry is heavily contaminated with calcium sulfate and coprecipitated uranium salts. Therefore, the slurry is recycled to the watering stage (3). Washed solids from 1,6). the waste barren liquor from (7), and the uranium filtrate from (11) are combined. The pH is elevated to 7.5 by adding lime slurry before the mixture is pumped to the tailings disposal area. (Rio Algom Mines Limited, Toronto)...

There is no current commercial biologic process for the production of succinic acid. In past laboratory systems, when succinic acid has been produced by fermentation, lime is added to the fermentation medium to neutralize the acid, yielding calcium succinate (2). The calcium succinate salt then precipitates out of the solution. Subsequently, sulfuric acid is added to the salt to produce the free soluble succinic acid and solid calcium sulfate (gypsum). The acid is then purified with several washings over a sorbent to remove impurities. The disposal of the solid waste is both a directly economic and an environmental concern, as is the cost of the raw materials. Some key process-related problems have been identified as follows (1) the separation of dilute product streams and the related costs of recovery, (2) the elimination of the salt waste from the current purification process, and (3) the reduction of inhibition to the product succinic acid on the fermentation itself. Acetic acid is also a byproduct of the fermentation of glucose by Anaerobiospirillium succiniciproducens almost 1 mol of acetate will be produced for every 2 mol of succinate (3). Under certain cultivation conditions by a mutant Escherichia coli, lesser amounts of acetate can be produced (4,5). This byproduct will also need to be separated. 

By using this technique, operations free of calcium sulfate scaling have been demonstrated in laboratory and field installations. This seeding technique is the key to closed loop operation in which liquid leaves the system only by evaporation or in combination with the solid by-product of the scrubbing system. Disposal of this solid is discussed later. 

The Air Quality Control Systems (AQCS) using lime/limestone wet scrubbing have three basic types of chemical process equipment (1) scrubbers, (2) reaction tanks, and (3) solid-liquid separators, in addition to several auxiliary pieces of equipment such as pumps, demisters, and reheaters. The SO2 in the flue gas is transferred into the liquid in the scrubber, the sulfur in the liquid is converted to solid calcium sulfite, and calcium sulfate in the reaction tanks and solid calcium sulfite and sulfate are separated from the liquid and disposed from the solid-liquid separators such as clarifiers, vacuum filters, and ponds. 

At the Shawnee Test Facility, major emphasis has been placed on the use of adipic acid in conjunction with forced oxidation of calcium sulfite to calcium sulfate, since this system results in better sludge dewatering properties and reduced waste solids disposal costs. Furthermore, the more tightly closed liquor loop,... 

The disadvantages of wet scrubbers are that they produce a visible steam plume, and liquid and solid effluents, which can cause disposal problems. Where low sulfur fuels are used, the effluent may contain calcium hydroxide which in one installation has been found to give pH values as high as 11.3 the sludge is also alkaline and may present disposal problems. Where high sulfur fuels are used, the effluent contains dissolved salts, mainly calcium sulfate and possibly calcium bisulfite. The latter could lead to a biological oxygen demand. 

In the dual-alkali process, a recycled alkaline solution of sodium salts is the scrubbing liquid. The scrubber effluent is treated with slaked lime to precipitate insoluble calcium sulfite and calcium sulfate, while regenerating the alkalinity of the solution. Then, the calcium salts are thickened and filtered from the recycled solution. This system requires only a small make-up of sodium alkali and produces a smaller amount of solids for disposal than a simple lime scrubbing system. 

DISPOSAL AND STORAGE METHODS neutralize with caustic and chlorinate treat with calcium hypochlorite route to sewage plant or neutralize with caustic and add ferrous sulfate pour insoluble solid wastes on dry sand and ignite store in a cool, dry location shelf-life should not exceed 90 days store in steel cylinders also dissolved or absorbed into water, inert solutions, or other materials. 

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