Synthesis of calcium phosphate hydrogel from waste incineration fly ash and its application to fuel cell

• Published in: Journal of environmental management Vol. 90; no. 8; pp. 2709 - 2714
• Main Authors: Fukui, Kunihiro, Kidoguchi, Satoshi, Arimitsu, Naoki, Jikihara, Kenji, Yamamoto, Tetsuya, Yoshida, Hideto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-06-2009; Elsevier; Academic Press Ltd
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Calcium carbonate; Calcium phosphate; Calcium phosphate hydrogel; Calcium phosphates; Calcium Phosphates - chemistry; Carbon; Chemical synthesis; Coal Ash; Combustion; Conductivity; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Electrical conductivity; Electrolyte; Energy-Generating Resources; Fast proton conductor; Fly ash; Fuel cell; Fuel cells; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate - chemical synthesis; Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate - chemistry; Hydrogels; Incineration; Incineration - instrumentation; Incineration - methods; Membranes; Particulate Matter; Waste incineration fly ash; Fast proton conductor; Waste incineration fly ash; Calcium phosphate hydrogel; Electrolyte; Fuel cell; Fly ash; Incineration; Proton; Calcium phosphate; Wastes; Environmental management
• ISSN: 0301-4797; 1095-8630
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.02.014

Waste incineration fly ash was successfully recycled to calcium phosphate hydrogel, a type of fast proton conductor. The crystallized hydrogel from incineration fly ash had a lower electric conductivity and a lower crystallinity than that from calcium carbonate reagent. However, the difference in electric conductivity between these crystallized hydrogels decreases with temperature. This was due to the presence of potassium in the incineration fly ash. The fuel cell with a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) using the calcium phosphate hydrogel membrane prepared from incineration fly ash was observed to generate electricity. The performance of this fuel cell was almost equal to that of a mixture of K
2CO
3 and CaCO
3 reagents; further, the performance of the former was superior to the fuel cell with a perfluorosulfonic polymer membrane at temperatures greater than approximately 85 °C.