Surface morphology and structure of reactive materials used in the removal of pollutants generated during the process of coal conversion in the rock mass

Abstract

The technology of permeable reactive barriers in recent years is one of the most frequently developed methods of protecting the soil and water environment against pollution. This technique is the remediation of groundwater where contaminants are removed from an aquifer by the flow through a reactive barrier filled with a reactive material. The novelty of the presented concept is the application of a barrier, limiting the potential risk of liquid and gas pollution in the case of uncontrolled and unpredictable operation, in the emergency situations related to gas leaks to the environment, underground fires and water pollution with substances of high toxicity, during the underground hard coal conversion. The use of the permeable reactive barrier also aimed at limiting the leaching of pollutants away from the georeactor zone, after mining of the deposit. The carried-out tests aimed at determining the possibility of using reactive materials to remove gaseous pollutants from the georeactor surroundings. The research involved the assessment of changes in the structure and morphology of the surface during thermal conversion of active carbon and zeolite samples. The presented results of the study show that the appropriate selection of reactive materials in the process of underground coal gasification will allow the reduction of the risk of the spread of gaseous and liquid pollutants in the rock mass.