Separation Equipment Research Articles

Analysis of the Possibility of Modeling Gas Separators using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Abstract Today, gas-liquid separators are usually used for the purification of gas mixtures from droplet liquid, and there are many designs of which. However, in order to improve the efficiency of their work, increase throughput, reduce mass and dimensions, they are constantly being improved. Usually, developing a new or improving an existing separator design is a long-term and relatively expensive process. Today, computer programs that implement the finite element method make it possible to speed up and reduce the cost of designing both a gas separator and other equipment. FloEFD program is one of these programs. However, it is more convenient during design to use one computer program that allows you to build 3D models (CAD) and in the same program to use a module for simulating the movement of gas and liquid flows (CFD). Such a program is SolidWorks with the FlowSimulation application module. As for the physical processes that occur during the operation of gas separators, they are quite complex, since a multiphase gas flow with an existing liquid phase is simulated. In the article, simulation modeling of the C-2-1 separator was carried out and the values and distributions of velocities and pressures in its various cross-sections were determined. Special attention was paid to the following cross-sections of the separator: along the axis of its inlet pipe; in the middle is the spigot of the blade screw; on a block of blinds. The difference in pressure at the outlet and inlet of the separator was determined, which is 20267 Pa. Based on the simulation results obtained, recommendations are given for further research and optimization of the separator design. The main parameter that characterizes the degree of separation of liquid from gas in the separator is the efficiency factor, which depends on the design of the separator, thermobaric conditions, parameters of the technological scheme, composition and physical and chemical properties of the gas-liquid flow. As a result of simulated modeling of the separator, its efficiency coefficient was determined when it extracted droplet liquid from the gas-liquid mixture in its various fractions (from 0.01 to 0.1 mm). The efficiency factor is about 100%.

Three-layer business model canvas of oil-water separation equipment in restaurants and food processing factories

A three-layer business model canvas was applied to clarify the environmental, economic, and social impacts of introducing oil-water separation equipment (OWSE) used in restaurants and food processing factories. Introducing high-performance OWSE can change the social structure of manufacturers and residents of sewerage development areas and provide economic benefits to companies. Based on the data of a ramen restaurant in Miyagi, Japan, evaluated the economic effect of introducing OWSE resulted in the total initial cost and maintenance was 1,032USD/year less than the cost of the sewage fee. Therefore, the proposed equation can be used to evaluate the economic effects of introducing OWSE.

Innovative Approach to Producing Palladium-103 for Auger-Emitting Radionuclide Therapy: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Auger-emitting radionuclides, exemplified by Pd-103, exhibit considerable therapeutic potential in cancer treatment due to their high cytotoxicity and localized biological impact. Despite these advantages, the separation of such radionuclides presents a complicated challenge, requiring intricate and time-intensive "wet chemistry" methods attributed to the exceptional chemical inertness of the associated metals. This study proposes an innovative solution to this separation challenge through the design and implementation of a piece of radionuclide separation equipment (RSE). The equipment employs a dry distillation approach, capitalizing on differences in partial vapor pressures between irradiated and resulting radioactive metals, with a diffusion-driven extraction method applied to separate Pd-103 radionuclides generated via the proton irradiation of Rh-103 at cyclotron. Our optimization endeavors focused on determining the optimal temperature for effective metal separation and adjusting the diffusion, evaporation, and deposition rates, as well as addressing chemical impurities. The calculations indicate 17% ± 2% separation efficiency with our RSE. Approximately 77 ± 2% and 49 ± 2% of the deposited Pd-103 were isolated on substrates of Nb foil and ZnO-covered W disc, respectively. The proposed innovative dry distillation method that has been experimentally tested offers a promising alternative to conventional separation techniques, enabling enhanced purity and cost-efficient cancer treatment strategies.

Gravity-based pre-concentration strategies for complex rare earth ore containing niobium and zirconium

The Balzhe rare earth mine, renowned for its rich reservoirs of niobium, zirconium, and rare earth elements, poses a unique challenge due to its diverse and interbedded mineral composition. Despite the abundance of these elements, their valuable grade remains notably low, falling short of economic thresholds. To this end, pre-concentration of valuable minerals to discard gangue minerals before flotation would be an economical option. In response, this study delves into the feasibility of gravity-induced pre-concentration, aiming to segregate valuable minerals from gangue for subsequent flotation processes. Conducting float-and-sink tests on varied particle sizes (-2+0.5 mm, -0.5+0.074 mm, and -0.074+0.02 mm) within heavy liquids of specific gravities (ranging from 2.55 to 2.85), the study reveals the effectiveness of gravity separation. Notably, particles sized -2+0.5 mm and -0.074+0.02 mm demonstrated superior separation performance over the -0.5+0.074 mm fraction. Comparative analysis of diverse gravity separation equipment unveiled compelling results. The dense medium cyclone separator showcased impressive recovery rates and high-grade concentrates of Nb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>, ZrO<sub>2</sub>, and total rare earth oxides (TREO) at 0.34%, 8.20%, and 0.41%, respectively, surpassing the sand table's performance for -2+0.5 mm particles. Conversely, for -0.5+0.074 mm particles, the shaking table exhibited optimal separation efficiency, yielding grades of Nb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>, ZrO<sub>2</sub>, and TREO at 0.37%, 4.08%, and 0.44%, with substantial recovery values. Ultimately, the Knelson centrifugal separator proved most effective for -0.074+0.02 mm particles, yielding notable grades and recoveries of Nb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>, ZrO<sub>2</sub>, and TREO. This study underscores the promising potential of gravity-induced pre-concentration techniques for enhancing the recovery of valuable elements from the complex Balzhe rare earth ore, offering critical insights into optimizing mineral extraction processes.

Analysis of the Influence of Gas Leakage in The Dipleg of Cyclone Separators on Particle Properties

The FCC unit uses a cyclone separator for gas-solid separation of catalysts from flue gas or oil and gas. When the cyclone separator experiences a gas leakage fault, it directly affects its separation performance, causing excessive catalyst emissions and leading to the occurrence of catalyst running faults. However, there is currently a lack of diagnostic technology for cyclone separator equipment malfunction and gas leakage. Therefore, the influence of the dipleg of the cyclone separator on the particle loss rate under different gas leakage velocities was investigated experimentally. Experiments show that under normal conditions, particles are subject to multiple cycle separation, and fewer particles randomly enter the riser with the upward rotating flow to escape, which is mainly determined by the structure size and inlet velocity of the cyclone separator. When gas leakage occurs in the dipleg, the higher the gas leakage velocity, the higher the particle loss rate. As the number of particle cycles increases, the loss rate gradually decreases. For this purpose, the cyclone separator inside the FCC unit in the industrial site is taken as the object. In response to multiple cyclone separator loss faults, the changes in process parameters and collected catalyst particle properties of the cyclone separator are analyzed, and the changes in the running dose inside the device during operation are analyzed. Based on the analysis results, the operation of the unit is optimized and adjusted to avoid unplanned shutdown and maintenance. Therefore, based on this, a fault diagnosis technology for catalyst loss in FCC unit cyclone separators based on particle property parameters has been created, which has the characteristics of accuracy and reliability and can be applied to the analysis and diagnosis of catalyst loss faults in FCC unit.

Study of a Novel Fluidized Bed Flotation Column with Enhanced Bubble Dispersion

Flotation machines and flotation columns are widely used as separation equipment for coal sludge. In order to obtain better flotation results for different particle sizes, the bubble distribution and size in the flow field need to be studied. In this paper, a novel three-phase fluidized bed flotation column (TFC) was designed, and the shear effect of liquid velocity (0.198 m/s, 0.226 m/s, and 0.254 m/s) and static bed height (0.1 m, 0.2 m, and 0.3 m) on the bubbles in the mineralized flow field region was investigated and evaluated for the formation of bubbles by shear in laboratory and semi-industrial experiments. The results show that the increase in filling bed height has a very obvious strengthening effect on the reduction of bubble diameter, and after the filling bed height reaches a certain value, the filling bed height will weaken the effect of apparent gas velocity on bubble diameter. The apparent gas velocity has different influencing effects on bubble diameter, and under conditions of low water velocity, the increase in the apparent gas velocity contributes to the reduction of bubble diameter. The conclusions of this study are expected to optimize the operating parameters of the flotation mineralization process and enrich the study of TFC, which can provide a reference for the design of future TFC studies.

Study on inhibition mechanisms of detachment of coal particles from oily bubbles in flotation column

The cyclonic microbubble flotation column is an efficient separation equipment in the beneficiation process of metallic and non-metallic minerals. However, the higher detachment rate of coarse particles in the pulp, pulp-froth interfacial zone, and froth zone is an issue that needs to be addressed urgently in column flotation. Compared with traditional air-water bubbles, oily bubbles have higher hydrophobicity, which is beneficial for strengthening the bubble-particle attachment and inhibiting the bubble-particle detachment. Therefore, oily bubbles were introduced into the cyclonic microbubble flotation column to reduce the particle detachment rate. Firstly, an improved cyclonic microbubble flotation column was set up, and traditional air-water bubbles were placed by oily bubbles through the combined use of an atomizer and a bubble generator during experiments. Subsequently, we investigated the feasibility of using oily bubbles as a flotation carrier to regulate the particle detachment rate, improve the particle recovery, and explore the mechanism behind this. Column flotation results showed that recovery rates generated from experiments with oily bubbles are higher than those with air-water bubbles under different operation conditions, and the particle detachment rate in the interfacial region was significantly reduced with the use of oily bubbles. Recoveries and flotation rate constants generated from collection zones for each particle size range indicated that the use of oily bubbles can increase the upper limit of flotation particle size compared with the use of air-water bubbles. Calculated detachment rates showed that the use of oily bubbles can effectively reduce the detachment probability of particles with different sizes in the collection zone. Combined with the observation of ultrasonic-assisted oscillation, it is proved that the oil coating film on the oily bubble significantly improves the resistance of oily bubbles to turbulent disturbance. In addition, the increase in hydrophobic force between oily bubbles and particles and the growth of the three-phase contact periphery are beneficial to reducing the particle detachment probability due to turbulent disturbance in the collection zone. Results from bubble coalescence experiments showed that the existence of oily bubbles significantly reduced bubble coalescence time and increased the damping coefficient. Compared with air-water bubbles, oily bubbles have a stronger damping effect on the oscillation caused by bubble coalescence, inhibiting the violent bubble surface deformation and the induced particle detachment during bubble coalescence. Therefore, the introduction of oily bubbles is a promising idea to reduce the detachment probability of coarse particles and increase the upper limit of particle size in column flotation.

The Analysis of Gas-liquid Separation Technology Research Progress

Gas-liquid separators are commonly utilized in the energy and chemical industries. This paper briefly introduces the separation principles and research progress of the primary gas-liquid separation equipment domestically and internationally. The paper briefly summarizes the working principles of gravity separation, filtration separation, and centrifugal separation equipment. Next, attention is focused on optimizing the separation performance of centrifugal separation equipment, which offers advantages of small size and high separation efficiency. Finally, a comparative analysis of these gas-liquid separators is provided.

Performance evaluation and parameter optimization of a walnut shell–kernel winnowing device

AbstractTo design a walnut shell–kernel winnowing device, the aerodynamic characteristics of walnut shells and kernels were studied by combining theoretical computation and empirical tests. A winnowing method was developed for shell–kernel separation based on an analysis of suspending velocity. The performance of the walnut shell–kernel winnowing device was evaluated based on the screening rate and loss rate. Influences of feeding rate, wind speed, and vibration frequency on the performance of the device were simulated, and the optimal operating parameters were acquired. Research results demonstrated that the suspending velocity ranges of walnut shells and kernels were 8.96–13.89 and 11.81–20.78 m/s, respectively. Vibration frequency was the primary factor that influenced the screening rate of the device, followed by wind speed and then feeding rate. Feeding rate was the primary factor influencing the loss rate of the device, followed by vibration frequency and then wind speed. The optimal operating parameters were as follows: feeding rate = 246.61 g/s, wind speed = 19.77 m/s, and vibration frequency = 41.17 Hz. Under these conditions, the winnowing device's screening rate and loss rate were 79.22% and 7.38%, respectively. The performance of the designed walnut shell–kernel winnowing device conforms to practical operational requirements. This study provides a potential reference for future investigation into the optimization of shell–kernel winnowing devices for other agricultural products.Practical applicationsIn order to explore the influence of each factor on the performance of the device, the windward area of the crushed materials was obtained by Image Processing. Meanwhile the “3σ criterion” was used to establish an equivalent sphere of equal windward area to replace the real shape of the walnut particles, and the range of the suspending velocity of the walnut crushed material was explored. Based on the Computational Fluid Dynamics Discrete Eement Method (CFD‐DEM) coupling method, and taking the screening rate and loss rate as the evaluation indicators, the effects of feed flow, wind speed, and vibration frequency on the performance of the device were simulated and analyzed, and the optimal operating parameter combination was obtained. The performance of the walnut shell–kernel winnowing device designed in this paper meets the actual operation requirements, and the research method can provide a reference for the development and optimization of other agricultural product separation equipments.

The Exergy and Energy Analysis of Change Phase Steam in Patuha Geothermal Well Production

A Geothermal Power Plant Company in West Java Indonesia have capacity around 55MW. It company have increased the well production quality to keep up the Indonesia's energy demands. The power plant has been operated around ten years, it has ten geothermal production wells and two injection wells. The either of it wells has an abnormality. It wells has water dominated condition so, the separator equipment is required to separate the steam from water and vapor. Previous study indicated that subsurface water entering the broken reservoir pipe. That leaks in reservoir pipe was repaired in 2020. The impact after the pipe have been repaired it made the fluid characteristic of reservoir be vapor dominated. After that a separator as a steam separator is no longer required. The study compares the value energy and exergy power of the power plant. The calculations are performed from the well reservoir and all power plant equipment. According to the results of the energy study, the plant's energy efficiency after the transformation increased by 0.03%, from 19.48% to 19.52%. The exergy value of the brine in either wells (separated steam cycle) is also known to be 2.512,52 kW, beyond which the value will become zero.

Design and Numerical Simulation Study of Film Rod Reparation Device for Residual Film Recycling Machine

For the residual film recycling machine work, after the recovery of residual film, cotton stalks, crushed soil, and other impurities are not easy to separate; it is challenging to realize the secondary use of the problem. A waste film and impurity wind selection device were designed to recognize waste film recycling and separate soil film rods. The overall structure and working principles of the machine are described. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model of a film rod separation device was developed. The flow field within the film rod separation unit was analyzed by numerical simulation using 2023 R1 ANSYS Fluent software. Based on the differences of impurities such as residual film, soil, and cotton stalks in terms of density, suspension velocity, and their characteristics, the pressure distribution and velocity distribution of the internal flow field of soil, residual film, and cotton stalks at the site were investigated. The air inlet velocity, screen cylinder rotation, and main shaft rotation velocity were changed. Experiments were conducted to obtain wind selection parameters for suitable soil, residual film, and cotton stalk separators. Analysis of orthogonal experiments, polar variance of analysis, and analysis of variance yielded a better combination of working parameters: when the drum sieve velocity is 25 r/min, the spindle velocity is 35 r/min, and inlet wind velocity is 14 m/s, after the separation of residual film impurity rate of 8.9%. The results of the study can provide a theoretical basis for the development of film separation equipment.

From E-Waste to High-Value Materials: Sustainable Synthesis of Metal, Metal Oxide, and MOF Nanoparticles from Waste Printed Circuit Boards.

The exponential growth of electronic waste (e-waste) has raised significant environmental concerns, with projections indicating a surge to 74.7 million metric tons of e-waste generated by 2030. Waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs), constituting approximately 10% of all e-waste, are particularly intriguing due to their high content of valuable metals and rare earth elements. However, the presence of hazardous elements necessitates sustainable recycling strategies. This review explores innovative approaches to sustainable metal nanoparticle synthesis from WPCBs. Efficient metal recovery from WPCBs begins with disassembly and the utilization of advanced equipment for optimal separation. Various pretreatment techniques, including selective leaching and magnetic separation, enhance metal recovery efficiency. Green recovery systems such as biohydrometallurgy offer eco-friendly alternatives, with high selectivity. Converting metal ions into nanoparticles involves concentration and transformation methods like chemical precipitation, electrowinning, and dialysis. These methods are vital for transforming recovered metal ions into valuable nanoparticles, promoting sustainable resource utilization and eco-friendly e-waste recycling. Sustainable green synthesis methods utilizing natural sources, including microorganisms and plants, are discussed, with a focus on their applications in producing well-defined nanoparticles. Nanoparticles derived from WPCBs find valuable applications in drug delivery, microelectronics, antimicrobial materials, environmental remediation, diagnostics, catalysis, agriculture, etc. They contribute to eco-friendly wastewater treatment, photocatalysis, protective coatings, and biomedicine. The important implications of this review lie in its identification of sustainable metal nanoparticle synthesis from WPCBs as a pivotal solution to e-waste environmental concerns, paving the way for eco-friendly recycling practices and the supply of valuable materials for diverse industrial applications.

Effect of the drying type on the properties of granules and tablets produced by high shear wet granulation

Although high shear mixers can represent a single-pot process, separate drying equipment is commonly employed. Limited literature exists on the use of a heating jacket coupled with a vacuum pump typically used in a single-pot setup, so this study compares the drying effects of a single-pot setup (DSP) and ventilated oven (DVO) on the properties of granules and tablets. Granules containing three actives of varying water solubility were produced and characterised. The results showed that DSP reduced the drying time and produced smaller, irregular, and weaker granules with different compression mechanisms. The tablets were produced and characterised. All tablets passed the uniformity test. Compression differences had no impact on tablet properties for poorly water-soluble actives, but altered properties for highly soluble actives due to increased active migration and crystallization on the granule surface. In conclusion, while DSP offers advantages, careful consideration of the drying technique is essential during product development.

Solid–Liquid Separation and Its Environmental Impact on Manure Treatment in Scaled Pig Farms—Evidence Based on Life Cycle Assessment

Recently, there has been a significant focus on the issue of pollution caused by livestock and poultry rearing, which is recognized as a prominent contributor to nonpoint source pollution in the agricultural sector. This study employed the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to evaluate the environmental impact of several pig manure processing scenarios with the aim of determining the appropriate solid–liquid separation tool for large-scale pig farms. The findings indicate that the utilization of a screw extruder for solid–liquid separation in Scenario 2 has a lower environmental impact. In contrast to Scenario 1, Scenario 2 exhibits reduced environmental potential in the areas of global warming, human toxicity, acidification, and eutrophication. Specifically, the global warming, human toxicity, acidification, and eutrophication impacts decreased by 56%, 81%, 83%, and 273%, respectively, due to the implementation of solid–liquid separation. The type of solid–liquid separation equipment used during the processing of swine manure, as well as the subsequent treatment, have a significant impact on environmental emissions. Compared to Scenario 2, Scenario 3, which utilizes a centrifugal microfilter for solid–liquid separation, exhibits a lower environmental impact in terms of human toxicity, resulting in a reduction of 0.736 kg DCB-eq. In general, solid–liquid separation is a viable and environmentally friendly method for the disposal of waste from large-scale pig farms. The adoption of this method is highly recommended. During its implementation, careful consideration should be given to factors such as separation efficiency and pollution emissions. It is crucial to select appropriate equipment for solid–liquid separation to effectively process the waste.

STUDY OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS OF MECHANICAL DEHYDRATION OF FOOD PRODUCTION WASTE THROUGH MATHEMATICAL MODELING

The separation of wet dispersed materials is becoming an urgent task for the industry of Ukraine and other countries, especially in the food and processing industries. Solving this task can effectively solve the problem of efficient management of wastes such as alcohol grounds, beer grounds, beet pulp, coffee and barley sludge. After separation of the liquid phase from the waste (dewatering), the solid phase can serve as a soil conditioner, a useful additive to agricultural feed, be used as a high-calorie fuel, and have other beneficial uses in both the processing and agricultural industries. After separation of the liquid phase from the waste (dehydration), the solid phase can serve as a useful additive to agricultural feed or be used as a high-calorie fuel. The most promising method of separating wet dispersed waste is mechanical dehydration. This method provides high productivity, low energy consumption, which is hundreds of times less than when using thermal methods to achieve the required moisture level of waste. A promising type of equipment for the mechanical separation of wet dispersed waste is presses with a hydraulic drive. They are characterized by compact size, high energy efficiency and reliability, as well as the possibility of precise regulation of waste processing parameters. The article presents a diagram of an improved and highly efficient installation with a hydraulic drive for the separation of wet dispersed materials. A mathematical model is presented that connects the parameters of the separation process, the design characteristics of the installation and the physical and mechanical properties of the material being processed. The found equations can be used to establish relationships between the working parameters of the processes, the design parameters of the equipment for the efficiency of the proposed bioenergy waste recycling technology.

Study on motion characteristics of filamentous biomass particles in a cyclone separator

Cyclone separators are important equipment for biomass transportation and separation. At present, the separation mechanism of particles with special shapes is rarely explored. A mutable filamentous particle was established to simulate the separation process of biomass materials. Firstly, comparing the simulateded results with the experimental images. Further comparison of the simulation results with the experimental airflow tangential velocity to verify the calculation model. This study explores the separation characteristics and forces acting on filamentous biomass particles through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM). The distribution characteristics of airflow are also described in detail. The research results indicate that after 0.8 s, the filamentous biomass particles are separated stably in the cyclone separator and form a particle vortex line on the conical wall. The higher the inlet gas velocity, the lower the separation efficiency of filamentous biomass particles. The inlet gas velocity is 4.9 m/s, and the separation efficiency of filamentous biomass particles reaches 98.7%. The total force acting on the filamentous biomass particles gradually decreases after a sharply increase at 0.2 s, and it no longer changes after 0.5 s. The airflow vortex in a cyclone separator is composed of an internal vortex and an external vortex. The tangential velocity of the internal vortex varies approximately linearly. The internal vortex of the cyclone separator has a negative pressure area, which can lead to a decrease in the separation efficiency of filamentous biomass particles. These conclusions provide valuable theoretical guidance for the process and separation of biomass materials.

Modelling droplet size distribution in inline electrostatic coalescers for improved crude oil processing

Water-in-oil emulsions pose significant challenges in the petroleum and chemical industrial processes, necessitating the coalescence enhancement of dispersed water droplets in emulsified oils. This study develops a mathematical model to predict the evolution of water droplet size distribution in inline electrostatic coalescers (IEC) as a promising means to improve the water separation efficiency of current oil processing systems. The proposed model utilizes the population balance modelling approach to effectively simulate the dynamic and complex processes of coalescence and breakage of droplets in crude oil which directly influence the separation efficiency of the process. The method of classes as an effective mathematical technique is selected to solve the population balance equation (PBE). The accuracy of the model and considered assumptions agree well with experimental data collected from the literature. The results demonstrate the model's ability to accurately simulate droplet coalescence and breakage in emulsified oil while predicting droplet size distribution and water removal efficiency. The electric field strength, residence time, and fluid flow rate significantly influence the coalescence of droplets. At 4 kV and 5 m3/h after 4 s the mean diameter of droplets (D50) and separation efficiency reach the maximum of 94.3% and 432 µm, respectively. The model enables the optimization of operational conditions, resulting in increased performance and reliability of oil-processing systems while reducing the energy consumption and use of chemical demulsifiers. Additionally, utilization of the device in optimized conditions significantly reduces the size and weight of downstream separation equipment, which is particularly advantageous for heavy oils and offshore fields.

Study on vapor-liquid equilibrium and azeotropic distillation simulation of fluorene- dibenzofuran system

ABSTRACT This study is centered on the separation of the fluorene-dibenzofuran system through binary phase equilibrium experiments and azeotropic distillation simulations. An enhanced Othmer equilibrium still was employed to conduct phase equilibrium experiments, and the obtained data were correlated to determine the missing binary interaction parameters. The resulting experimental data demonstrated thermodynamic consistency and reliability. Subsequent correlation using the NRTL, UNIQUAC, and Wilson models highlighted the UNIQUAC model’s exceptional agreement with experimental values. This underscores the model’s capability to precisely characterize the fluorene-dibenzofuran system’s phase behavior. The phase equilibrium study provided pivotal parameters and predictions, forming the groundwork for subsequent separation process simulations and equipment development. Azeotropic simulations, employing ethylene glycol as a co-boiling solvent and simulated via Aspen software, yielded high-purity fluorene products with a minimum purity of ≥ 98%. These findings emphasize the potency of azeotropic distillation in achieving high-purity separation within the fluorene-dibenzofuran system, with promising implications for industrial applications.

A review of intelligent coal gangue separation technology and equipment development

ABSTRACT One of the necessary ways to achieve the efficient, clean utilization of coal resources is to reduce the amount of coal gangue in raw coal to ensure the development of clean, low-carbon, and green energy in China. The application of conventional coal gangue separation equipment is severely limited due to the large investment in early construction, high production costs, and large water consumption and waste in production. Intelligent coal gangue separation equipment has the advantages of fast speed, high precision, strong modularity, and integration scalability. It also has the advantages of low operation cost and energy consumption, convenient operation and maintenance, and no water use. All of that could effectively improve the utilization rate of coal resources and expand the economic benefits of enterprises. The application of high-speed, high-precision, and anti-interference online element rapid analysis technology in intelligent coal gangue separation equipment will become an inevitable trend of equipment development in the future with the continuous improvement of coal product demand. Online rapid element analysis technology includes laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, dual-energy X-ray, and transient neutron activation analysis. Improving and applying more high-speed, high-precision algorithms such as partial least squares and Monte Carlo library least squares in the future are important.

TECHNOLOGICAL BASIS OF THE PROCESS OF ZIRCONIUM AND HAFNIUM SEPARATION

The paper presents the results of industrial testing of the process and equipment for the extraction separation of zirconium and hafnium in a single technological cycle with the production of high-purity nitrate compounds and pure nitric acid solutions as raw materials for the production of sodium nitrate. It is shown that the efficiency of the extraction process is determined primarily by the purity of the nitric acid solution by the content of a critical impurity – silicic acid, which causes an undesirable emulsification process and disrupts the stability of the process. Optimal conditions have been determined under which the formation of non-extractable forms of zirconium and hafnium is excluded. The replacement of pulsating columns with centrifugal extractors reduced operating costs by reducing the volume of a one-time load of a flammable extractant and its losses as a result of hydrolysis. This increased the degree of separation of zirconium and hafnium. Centrifugal extractors provided high process kinetics, reduced production areas, and increased labor productivity and product quality.