Cleaning coal with coal: coal humic acids for removal of acid, iron, heavy metals, and organic pollutants associated with use of coal as a fuel. Completion report

Technical Report · Thu Aug 21 04:00:00 EDT 1975

OSTI ID:7331550

Manahan, S E

Cation exchangers were prepared by surface oxidizing Missouri bituminous coal with 6 M nitric acid through which air was bubbled. This treatment introduces oxygen-containing functional groups on the coal surface producing an ion exchanger with acid-base properties and the capability of chelating metal ions. The sodium form of the ion exchanger removed sulfuric acid from water raising the pH from 1.5 to more than 8. Ferrous iron at 25 mg/l in pH 1.5 sulfuric acid (simulating acid mine water) was removed to less than 0.2 mg/l by the sodium form of the ion exchanger. A similar solution of ferric iron was lowered from 100 mg/l to about 0.5 mg/l by the same treatment. The treated coal was found to chemically reduce some iron (III) to iron (II). When passed over the acid form of the coal ion exchanger, copper and cadmium levels in neutral solution were lowered from 10 mg/l to 0.01 and 0.00 mg/l, respectively, and from 50 mg/l to 0.02 and 0.01 mg/l respectively. The low ion exchange capacity of surface treated coal limits its usefulness in treating water. Base-soluble coal humic acid has a much higher ion exchange capacity, and work is continuing on its use for wastewater treatment. (GRA)

• Research Organization: Missouri Water Resources Research Center, Columbia (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7331550
• Report Number(s): PB-247313
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010500 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Products & By-Products
010600* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Properties & Composition
BITUMINOUS COAL
BLACK COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHELATES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COAL MINING
COMPLEXES
DESULFURIZATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
IONS
IRON COMPOUNDS
LIQUID WASTES
MINING
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
POLLUTION
PRODUCTION
SULFURIC ACID
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER
WATER POLLUTION