Biological removal of organic constituents in quench water from a slagging, fixed-bed coal-gasification pilot plant

Technical Report · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5531569· OSTI ID:5531569

Stamoudis, V C; Luthy, R G

This study is part of an effort to assess the efficiency of activated-sludge treatment for removal of organic constituents from high-Btu coal-gasification pilot-plant quench waters. A sample of raw-gas quench water was obtained from the Grand Forks Energy and Technology Center's pilot plant, which employs the slagging, fixed-bed gasification process. The quench water generated in the processing of Indian Head lignite was pretreated to reduce ammonia and alkalinity, and then diluted and subjected to long-term biological treatment, followed by detailed characterization and analysis of organic constituents. The pretreated (influent) and treated (effluent) samples were extracted using a methylene chloride, pH-fractionation method to obtain acid, base, and neutral fractions, which were analyzed by capillary-column gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Over 99% of the total extractable and chromatographable organic material in the influent acid fraction was composed of phenol and alkylated phenols. Biological treatment removed these compounds almost completely. Major components of the influent base fraction were alkylated pyridines, anilines, aminopyrroles, imidazoles and/or pyrazoles, diazines, and quinolines. Removal efficiency of these compounds ranged between 90 and 100%. The influent neutral fraction was composed mainly of cycloalkanes, cycloalkenes, naphthalene, indole, acetophenone, and benzonitrile. Alkylated benzenes were generally absent. Removal efficiencies of these compounds were generally very good, except for certain alkylated cycloalkanes and cycloalkenes. Results are compared with those of a similar study on HYGAS coal-gasification quench water.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5531569
• Report Number(s): ANL/PAG-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010404 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Gasification
010800* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Waste Management
ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESS
AMINES
AMMONIA
ANILINE
AROMATICS
AZINES
BIODEGRADATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COAL GASIFICATION
DECOMPOSITION
EXTRACTION
FLUIDS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GAS FUELS
GASES
GASIFICATION
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HIGH BTU GAS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LIQUID WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHENOLS
PILOT PLANTS
PROCESSING
PYRIDINES
QUENCHING
QUINOLINES
REMOVAL
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
TESTING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER