Accelerated carbonation treatment of industrial wastes

• Published in: Waste management (Elmsford) Vol. 30; no. 6; pp. 1081 - 1090
• Main Authors: Gunning, Peter J., Hills, Colin D., Carey, Paula J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-06-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Ashes; BUILDING MATERIALS; Carbon - chemistry; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON DIOXIDE; Carbon Dioxide - chemistry; CARBON OXIDES; Carbonation; CEMENTS; CHALCOGENIDES; DISSOLUTION; ELECTRIC POWER INDUSTRY; ELEMENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Exact sciences and technology; General treatment and storage processes; Hazardous; Incinerators; Industrial Waste; INDUSTRIAL WASTES; INDUSTRY; LEACHING; MANAGEMENT; MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; MATERIALS; METALS; Metals - chemistry; MICROSTRUCTURE; MINERALOGY; Other industrial wastes. Sewage sludge; Other wastes and particular components of wastes; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PH VALUE; Pollution; SEPARATION PROCESSES; Sludge; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; Waste Management - methods; Waste treatment; WASTES; Elementary analysis; Industrial waste; Mineralogy; Carbon dioxide; Carbonation; Paper waste; Lixiviation; Chemical reactivity; Waste disposal
• ISSN: 0956-053X; 1879-2456
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2010.01.005

The disposal of industrial waste presents major logistical, financial and environmental issues. Technologies that can reduce the hazardous properties of wastes are urgently required. In the present work, a number of industrial wastes arising from the cement, metallurgical, paper, waste disposal and energy industries were treated with accelerated carbonation. In this process carbonation was effected by exposing the waste to pure carbon dioxide gas. The paper and cement wastes chemically combined with up to 25% by weight of gas. The reactivity of the wastes to carbon dioxide was controlled by their constituent minerals, and not by their elemental composition, as previously postulated. Similarly, microstructural alteration upon carbonation was primarily influenced by mineralogy. Many of the thermal wastes tested were classified as hazardous, based upon regulated metal content and pH. Treatment by accelerated carbonation reduced the leaching of certain metals, aiding the disposal of many as stable non-reactive wastes. Significant volumes of carbon dioxide were sequestrated into the accelerated carbonated treated wastes.