Influence of Na2CO3 on the activation degree and microstructure of coal gasification coarse slag

Abstract

ABSTRACT Silicon in coal gasification coarse slag (CGCS) accounts for more than 40%. CGCS can be developed into an inorganic silicon source to improve its utilization value. Alkali activation can increase extraction rate of silicon. In this study, the influence of Na2CO3 on the activation degree and microstructure of CGCS was investigated. The activation mechanism was discussed based on IR, XRD, SEM, and EDS data. The results showed that the dosage of Na2CO3 was positively correlated with SiO2/Al2O3 in CGCS, which is generally 0.8 ~ 1.3 times of CGCS. The activation temperature of CGCS was 800°C ~ 850°C. A small amount of residual carbon could slightly reduce the activation temperature. The alkali activation process involved depolymerizing the polymer structure into an oligomer, whereby the crystalline structure was transformed into an amorphous structure. Moreover, Q4 structure in CGCS could be more easily activated than Q3 or Q2 structure. The activation reaction was carried out under gas-liquid-solid three-phase conditions. The diffusion effect of CO2 gas could be fully utilized in the activation process to ensure the melting of heteroatoms and the formation of defects, which prevented the emergence of crystalline substances. This research provides a solid theoretical foundation for low-cost and high-quality extraction of silicon from CGCS.