Color Removal From Pulp Mill Effluent Using Coal Ash Produced From Georgia Power Coal Combustion Plants

<p>Two environmental concerns currently face Georgia: coal fly ash (CFA) waste from coal power plants, and the effluent generated by pulp mills. Pulp mill effluent discolors surface waters into which it is discharged, and has been proven to negatively impact the dissolved oxygen and carbon necessary for aquatic life. The proposed solution is a cost-effective adsorption treatment using an inexpensive but abundantly available waste material: CFA. CFA possesses beneficial properties that allow it to effectively remove contaminants, and is available at significantly reduced cost. The primary research objective was to define treatment parameters that would result in the maximum removal of effluent color at the lowest CFA dosage and process cost. Experimentation consisted of batch adsorption studies and several test parameters were varied to determine their effect on removal. Kinetic and isotherm studies were also conducted using the optimal conditions, and the data was fitted to existing adsorption models. In addition, a column study was completed to observe CFA in a continuous flow setting. The research produced a cost-effective adsorption process resulting in 80% color removal, and required no effluent pH adjustment. Color removal by CFA was observed to occur primarily in the first hour, with the adsorption achieving equilibrium at 24 hours. Additionally, the Ho et al. kinetic model and the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models best described the observed adsorption phenomena. Overall, this research found CFA to be a promising low-cost adsorbent for the removal of color from pulp mill effluent.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Applied Engineering (M.S.A.E.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis (open access)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Year dc:date.available

2015

Author dc:creator

• Willett, Christopher B

Contributors dc:contributor

• Mike Jackson
• Pete Rogers

• ETD
• Coal Fly Ash (CFA)
• Pulp Mill Effluent
• Color Removal
• Adsorption
• Civil Engineering
• Construction Engineering and Management
• Environmental Engineering
• Industrial Engineering
• Industrial Technology
• Manufacturing
• Other Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Transportation Engineering

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/1320

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu:etd-2377