Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Evaluation of Solid Waste From H2S Removal Process in Natural Gas Treatment Incorporated Into Red Ceramic

Abstract

Waste incorporation into clay ceramic is a worldwide accepted recycling procedure for environmentally friendly reuse of spent industrial materials. In the present work a clay ceramic from the city of Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil, was, for the first time, investigated with different amounts, up to 10 wt%, of a solid waste generated from the “Sulfatreat” natural gas treatment process. Both the waste and the incorporated ceramic were characterized by X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction as well as vibratory sieving, gas chromatography and sedimentation method. Ceramic samples were prepared by uniaxial pressing at 18 MPa and sintered at 850°C. Physical and mechanical properties of these ceramics such as linear shrinkage, apparent density, water absorption and flexural strength were evaluated. Microstructure of the incorporated ceramics was analyzed by optical microscopy. The results showed that, within the standard deviation, the linear shrinkage and apparent density of the clay ceramic were not affected by the waste incorporation. However, the water absorption is benefitted, by decreasing above 5 wt% incorporation, while the flexural strength is impaired for any incorporated amount. Porosity and larger waste particles observed in microstructure are proposed reasons for these advantages and shortcomings.

Keyword:
Waste incorporation; clay ceramics; Sulfatreat waste; properties


1. Introduction

Natural gas is a growing energy resource in Brazil associated with important applications 11 Campos AF, da Silva NF, Pereira MG, Freitas MAV. A review of Brazilian natural gas industry: Challenges and strategies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Review. 2017;75:1207-1216. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.11.104
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.11...

2 Alves IAS, Aragão AFL, Bastos BL, Falcão JL, Fartes E. Pre-Salt Santos Basin C: Well Construction Learning Curve Acceleration. In: Proceedings of Offshore Technology Conference; 2009 May 4-7; Houston, TX, USA.

3 Beltrão RLC, Sombra CL, Lage ACVM, Netto JRF, Henriques CCD. Challenges and New Technologies for the Development of the Pre-salt Cluster, Santos Basin, Brazil. In: Proceedings of Offshore Technology Conference; 2009 May 4-7; Houston, TX, USA.
-44 Fernandes E, Fonseca, MVA, Alonso PSR. Natural gas in Brazil’s energy matrix: demand for 1995-2010 and usage factors. Energy Policy. 2005;33(3):365-386.. Several studies have been conducted aiming at improving both quality and specification of natural gas according to the levels required by the Brazilian National Petroleum Agency, known as ANP 55 Augusto CR, Ribeiro CC, Fioravante AL, Elias ECS, Sobrinho DGC, Cunha VS, et al. Interlaboratory comparison for measurement of natural gas composition: a tool for performance evaluation. (In Portuguese). Petro & Química. 2011;336:33-43.,66 Muñoz CP., Gome, Holland, L. Natural Gas. ed. FGV energy, Brasília, 2014.. The presence of contaminants existing in natural gases, such as H2S, CO2, N2 and even water, imposes the need of special treatments involving separation procedures 77 Souza JR, Melo MAF. Desulfurization of natural gas using molecular sieves (in portuguese). In: I Workshop dos Programas de Recursos Humanos da ANP-UFRN, 2001, Natal. I Workshop dos Programas de Recursos Humanos da ANP-UFRN, 2001.. In particular hydrogen sulfide, H2S, also called “acid gas”, is an important contaminant due to its very high degree of toxicity. One of the most effective treatments to eliminate acid gas is known as the SulfatreatTM process. This is the trade name of the iron oxide (FexOy) - based compound used in the removal of H2S from the natural gas 88 Fong HL, Kushner DS, Scott RT. Gas desulfurization using Sulferox. In: Proceedings of Laurence Reid Gas Conditioning Conference; 1987 Mar 2-4; Norman, OK, USA.. The treatment consists on adsorption of H2S as the extracted natural gas flows through a vessel with a fixed bed filled with SulfatreatTM iron oxide 88 Fong HL, Kushner DS, Scott RT. Gas desulfurization using Sulferox. In: Proceedings of Laurence Reid Gas Conditioning Conference; 1987 Mar 2-4; Norman, OK, USA.. During this process, the adsorption occurs by chemical reaction of H2S with SulfatreatTM forming a by-product considered as a Sulfatretat waste (SW), classified as dangerous 99 Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). NBR-10004 - Solid waste - Classification. Rio de Janeiro: ABNT; 1987.. In fact this waste is still toxic enough to be directly disposed into the environment, which might cause ecological damage. In addition to be indefinitely kept in sealed containers, a possible destiny for the SW could be its incorporation into clay ceramics.

The incorporation of industrial wastes into clay ceramics, especially for production of civil construction materials such as red bricks, structural blocks, roofing tiles, sewage pipes and many others, has been extensively investigated 1010 Monteiro SN, Vieira CMF. On the production of fired clay bricks from waste materials: A critical update. Construction and Building Materials. 2014;68:599-610.

11 Muñoz Velasco P, Morales Ortíz MP, Mendívil Giró MA, Muñoz Velasco L. Fired clay bricks manufactured by adding waste as sustainable construction materials - A review. Construction and Building Materials. 2014;63:97-107.

12 Zhang L. Production of bricks from waste materials - A review. Construction and Building Materials. 2013;47:643-655.
-1313 Vieira CMF, Monteiro SN. Incorporation of solid waste in red ceramics - an updated review. Matéria (Rio de Janeiro). 2009;14(3):881-905.. Among the distinct types of wastes, those associated with gas and oil industries are worth mentioning 1414 Fernández-Pereira C, de la Casa JA, Gómez-Barea A, Arroyo F, Leiva C, Luna Y. Application of biomass gasification fly ash for brick manufacturing. Fuel. 2011;90(1):220-232.

15 Eliche-Quesada D, Martínez-Martínez S, Pérez-Villarejo L, Iglesias-Godino FJ, Martínez-García C, Corpas-Iglesias FA. Valorization of biodiesel production residues in making porous clay bricks. Fuel Processing Technology. 2012;103:166-173.

16 Pinheiro BCA, Holanda JNF. Processing of red ceramics incorporated with encapsulated petroleum waste. Journal of Materials Processing Technology. 2009;209(15-16):5606-5610.

17 Hajjaji M, Khalfaoui A. Oil shale amended raw clay: Firing transformations and ceramic properties. Construction and Building Materials. 2009;23(2):959-966.

18 Monteiro SN, Vieira CMF, Ribeiro MM, Silva FAN. Red ceramic industrial products incorporated with oily wastes. Construction and Building Materials. 2006;21(11):2007-2011. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2006.05.035
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.20...
-1919 Segadães AM, Kniess C, Acchar W, Kuhnen NC, Hotza D. Pre-laboratory assessment of the reuse-potential of industrial wastes in clay-based products. In: Global Symposium on Recycling, Waste Treatment and Clean Technology; 2004 Sep 26-29; Madrid, Spain.. Fernández-Pereira et al 1414 Fernández-Pereira C, de la Casa JA, Gómez-Barea A, Arroyo F, Leiva C, Luna Y. Application of biomass gasification fly ash for brick manufacturing. Fuel. 2011;90(1):220-232. investigated the application of biomass gasification fly ash and found promising results associated with its addition to bricks. Eliche-Quesada et al 1515 Eliche-Quesada D, Martínez-Martínez S, Pérez-Villarejo L, Iglesias-Godino FJ, Martínez-García C, Corpas-Iglesias FA. Valorization of biodiesel production residues in making porous clay bricks. Fuel Processing Technology. 2012;103:166-173. also obtained improved technological properties in clay bricks incorporated with residues from biodiesel production. Pinheiro e Holanda 1616 Pinheiro BCA, Holanda JNF. Processing of red ceramics incorporated with encapsulated petroleum waste. Journal of Materials Processing Technology. 2009;209(15-16):5606-5610. investigated clay ceramics incorporated with encapsulated petroleum waste. They found that, after firing at 1000°C, the linear shrinkage, water absorption and compressive strength decreased. Hajjaji and Khalfaoui 1717 Hajjaji M, Khalfaoui A. Oil shale amended raw clay: Firing transformations and ceramic properties. Construction and Building Materials. 2009;23(2):959-966. showed that oil shale addition into clay ceramic promoted marked changes in properties up to 12 wt%. Vieira et al 1818 Monteiro SN, Vieira CMF, Ribeiro MM, Silva FAN. Red ceramic industrial products incorporated with oily wastes. Construction and Building Materials. 2006;21(11):2007-2011. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2006.05.035
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.20...
reported minor change in the properties of red ceramic industrial products incorporated with oily wastes.

The aforementioned works have shown that hydrocarbon-based wasted might be incorporated into clay ceramics with slight reduction in strength but improvement in processing and other properties 1919 Segadães AM, Kniess C, Acchar W, Kuhnen NC, Hotza D. Pre-laboratory assessment of the reuse-potential of industrial wastes in clay-based products. In: Global Symposium on Recycling, Waste Treatment and Clean Technology; 2004 Sep 26-29; Madrid, Spain.. In particular, only few articles investigated the incorporation of wastes from the Brazilian petroleum industry 1616 Pinheiro BCA, Holanda JNF. Processing of red ceramics incorporated with encapsulated petroleum waste. Journal of Materials Processing Technology. 2009;209(15-16):5606-5610.,1818 Monteiro SN, Vieira CMF, Ribeiro MM, Silva FAN. Red ceramic industrial products incorporated with oily wastes. Construction and Building Materials. 2006;21(11):2007-2011. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2006.05.035
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.20...
. To the knowledge of the authors of the present work, no investigation on the incorporation of wastes from the Brazilian natural gas industry has been done so far. The relevance of this specific investigation is based on the fact that the application of natural gas in Brazil is surging and the related wastes will continuously be increasing. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to incorporate SW into clay ceramics fired at a temperature of 850°C, commonly used for red bricks production. This temperature corresponds to a mean value between minimum of 600°C for ordinary red bricks and 1100°C for special ceramic tiles 1010 Monteiro SN, Vieira CMF. On the production of fired clay bricks from waste materials: A critical update. Construction and Building Materials. 2014;68:599-610.

11 Muñoz Velasco P, Morales Ortíz MP, Mendívil Giró MA, Muñoz Velasco L. Fired clay bricks manufactured by adding waste as sustainable construction materials - A review. Construction and Building Materials. 2014;63:97-107.

12 Zhang L. Production of bricks from waste materials - A review. Construction and Building Materials. 2013;47:643-655.
-1313 Vieira CMF, Monteiro SN. Incorporation of solid waste in red ceramics - an updated review. Matéria (Rio de Janeiro). 2009;14(3):881-905.. In fact, it will be shown that the SW incorporated clay ceramics fired at 850°C are associated with technical properties with values in the limits to be used for roofing tiles. This is one of the most important building construction products with a relatively higher cost per weight of clay ceramic. Clay ceramic roofing tiles are experiencing a surge in Brazil owing to current demand for popular housing.

2. Experimental Procedure

The ferrous-based solid waste resulting from Sulfatreat process, here identified as SW, was collected at a natural gas plant of Cabiúnas, Macaé, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the Advanced Materials Laboratory of the State University of the Northern Rio de Janeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, the SW was milled and sieved to 42 mesh. The kaolinitic clay from the same region of Campos dos Goytacazes, was collected from a local ceramic industry to be mixed with SW.

The mineral constituents of both SW and clay were obtained by X-ray diffraction (XRD) in a model URD 65 SEIFERT diffractometer operating with Cu-Kα radiation and 2θ ranging from 5 to 40º. The chemical composition analyses were performed by means of X-ray fluorescence (XRF), using a PW 2400 Phillips equipment, and the gas chromatography (GC) 55 Augusto CR, Ribeiro CC, Fioravante AL, Elias ECS, Sobrinho DGC, Cunha VS, et al. Interlaboratory comparison for measurement of natural gas composition: a tool for performance evaluation. (In Portuguese). Petro & Química. 2011;336:33-43.,2020 ASTM International. ASTM D 1945-14 - Standard Test Method for Analysis of Natural Gas by Gas Chromatography. West Conshohocken: ASTM International; 2014. in a model GC 2010-plus Shimadzu, equipped with sulfur chemiluminescence detector (SCD). The particle size distribution was determined by sieving and sedimentation methods according to the Brazilian standard 2121 Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). NBR-7181 - Soil - Grain size analysis. Rio de Janeiro: ABNT; 2016. (in Portuguese).

Clay mixtures with 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 wt% of SW with clay were prepared in a pan mill for 30 min. The maximum amount of 10 wt% was a limit to avoid toxic emission during the incorporated clay sintering. Specimens with dimensions of 100 x 50 x 5.5mm were produced by uniaxial pressing (18 MPa). They were dried at 110ºC for 24 hours and then sintered at 850ºC for 2h under a heating rate of 2ºC/min. A minimum of 7 specimens for each condition were tested for water absorption, apparent density, linear shrinkage and three-point bending flexural strength. The water absorption was determined according to standard procedures 2222 ASTM International. ASTM C373-18 - Standard Test Methods for Determination of Water Absorption and Associated Properties by Vacuum Method for Pressed Ceramic Tiles and Glass Tiles and Boil Method for Extruded Ceramic Tiles and Non-tile Fired Ceramic Whiteware Products. West Conshohocken: ASTM International; 2018.. The linear shrinkage was obtained by measuring the sample’s length, before and after the sintering stage, using a Mitutoyo caliper with an accuracy of ±0.01 mm. The three-point flexural strength was determined as per ASTM C674 standard 2323 ASTM International. ASTM C674-13(2018) - Standard Test Methods for Flexural Properties of Ceramic Whiteware Materials. West Conshohocken: ASTM International; 2018. in an Instron 5582 universal testing machine, using a cross-head speed of 0.5 mm/min.

The microstructure of the sintered ceramics was evaluated by optical microscopy using a model CGA Olympus. The facture was analyzed by electron scanning microscopy (SEM) in a model SSX-550 Shimadzu microscope.

3. Results and Discussion

Figures 1 and 2 show XRD patterns of the clay ceramic and Sulfatreat Waste (SW), respectively. It is observed that the clay ceramic has predominantly peaks of kaolinite (Al2O3.2SiO2.2H2O) and quartz (SiO2), represented by K and Q letters, respectively, in Fig. 1. The presence of other minerals, such as montmorillonite ((Al1,67.Na0,33.Mg0,33)(SiO5)2(OH)2), gibbsite (Al2O3.3H2O), goethite- (FeO(OH)), and muscovite mica (K2O.3Al2O3.6SiO2.2H2O), may also be verified in Fig. 1. The very small peak attributed to gibbsite can be considered, as such, based on the typical occurrence of this mineral in the clays of Campos dos Goytacazes 2424 Vieira CMF, da Silva PRN, da Silva FT, Capitaneo J, Monteiro SN. Microstructural Evaluation and Properties of a Ceramic Body for Extruded Floor Tile. Matéria (Rio de Janeiro). 2005;10(4):526-536.,2525 Vieira CMF, Pinheiro RM. Evaluation of kaolinitic clays from Campos dos Goytacazes used for red ceramic fabrication. Cerâmica. 2011;57(343):319-323..

Figure 1
X-ray diffractogram of the ceramic clay. K= kaolinite; Gi = gibbsite; M = muscovite mica ; Q = quartz and FK= potassium feldspar.

Figure 2
X-ray diffractogram of the Sulfatreat waste. M = muscovite mica ; Q = quartz, Mt = montmorillonite and H = hematite.

Among the mentioned minerals, the kaolinite and montmorillonite are responsible for a marked plasticity of the ceramic clay with added water. Quartz constitutes the major impurity present in the clay, which acts as an inert component during sintering 1313 Vieira CMF, Monteiro SN. Incorporation of solid waste in red ceramics - an updated review. Matéria (Rio de Janeiro). 2009;14(3):881-905.. By contrast, the gibbsite contributes to increase the clay refractory behavior and its weight loss during sintering. Regarding the muscovite mica, this is a mineral with lamellar texture that can cause defects in ceramics 2626 Vieira CMF, Sánches RJ, Monteiro SN. Microstructure Evolution in Kaolinitic Clay as a Function of Firing Temperature. Interceram (Freiburg). 2005;54(4):268-271.. However, if this mineral has a reduced particle size, it may act as a fluxing component due to the presence of alkaline oxides. In addition, processing problems can occur as a result of the great rehydration tendency of the montmorillonite.

The XRD diffractogram of the SW, Fig 2, shows peaks of quartz, hematite (Fe2O3), muscovite mica and montmorillonite. These results are in accordance with the mineralogical SW composition indicated by the supplier. It can also be noted the presence of quartz together with montmorillonite. This mineralogical combination is associated with low plasticity. The iron oxide during the sintering stage should be maintained in oxidation state as Fe3+. In case the iron oxide is chemically reduced it may cause a defect known as “black heart”, which occurs when vitrification takes place before complete oxidation 2727 Monteiro SN, Vieira CMF. Characterization of Clays from Campos dos Goytacazes. North Rio de Janeiro State. Tile & Brick International. 2002;18(3):152-157.. Moreover, the iron oxide acts as a fluxing agent, reacting with silica, producing fayalite, and a glassy (amorphous phase). The glass formed produces an impermeable surface preventing gas from escaping. This might lead to bloating of the ceramic with reduction of its mechanical strength.

Table 1 shows the chemical compositions in terms of oxide contents, as well as the loss on ignition (LoI) for both clay ceramic and SW. It should be noted that clay ceramic exhibits a typical composition of silica (SiO2) and alumina (Al2O3) 2828 McColm IJ. Dictionary of Ceramic Science and Engineering. 3rd ed. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media; 2013.. Usually, these oxides are present as compounds, i.e. combination of quartz (SiO2) and alumina (Al2O3), forming aluminosilicates, such as kaolinite and muscovite mica. However, according to Fig. 1, there is gibbsite, Al(OH)3, in the clay ceramic. Therefore, in Table 1, not all content of alumina is associated with aluminosilicates. In addition, minor contents of Fe, Ti, Ca, Mg and K oxides are also presented in Table 1. The iron oxide is responsible for the reddish color of the ceramic. Regarding the alkaline earth oxides (CaO and MgO), they are usually associated with carbonates, such as calcite (CaCO3), magnesite (MgCO3) and dolomite MgCa(CO3)2. It is worth mentioning that the low amount of calcium and magnesium oxides observed in Table 1 indicates the absence of carbonates in the investigated clay. The amount of 1.24 wt% K2O, important to reduce the porosity by viscous flux, is also present. This percentage is relatively low and typical of kaolinite clays. In clays, the Na and K oxides are commonly found as feldspar and mica.

Table 1
Chemical composition (%) of the ceramic clay and Sulfatreat waste.

The SW has relatively high amounts of iron oxide and silica, as shown in Table 1. According to Fig. 2, the iron occurs in the form of hematite. The high quantity of SiO2 (34.71 wt%) is associated, predominantly, with particles of quartz and clay minerals, such as montmorillonite and mica. Table 2 shows a qualitative analysis of the remaining composition (6.26 wt%) of SW, which may be related to several metallic elements found in natural gas and still remaining in the processed waste.

Table 2
Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (Qualitative) of Sulfatreat waste.

Figure 3 shows results for the SW by gas chromatography, in a Sulphur Chemiluminescence Detector (GC-SCD). These results revealed that the gas composition is similar to the atmospheric air, whose theoretical value is 78% N2, 21% O2, 1% CO2. In addition, the H2S amount obtained was 0.46 ppmv (in volume), which is below the standard value of 2 ppmv 2929 International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 6326-3:1989 - Natural gas -- Determination of sulfur compounds -- Part 3: Determination of hydrogen sulfide, mercaptan sulfur and carbonyl sulfide sulfur by potentiometry. Geneva: ISO; 2007.,3030 International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 6326-5 - Natural gas - Determination of sulfur compounds - Part 5: Lingener combustion method for total sulfur determination. Geneva: ISO; 2007.. In other words, the existing H2S content is acceptable.

Figure 3
Gas chromatography (GC-SCD) of the Sulfatreat waste.

The particle size distributions for both the clay and SW are shown in Fig 4, as per standard 3131 ABNT (Brazilian Association for Technical Norms (ABNT). NBR 7181/84 - Soil - Granulometric Analysis. Rio de Janeiro: ABNT; 1984. (In Portuguese). The particle size ranges were determined based on the following limits: particles < 2µm (clay fraction); from 2 to 20µm (silt fraction); and > 20µm (sand fraction), that correspond to 46.2 wt%, 38.4 wt% and 15.4 wt% of the clay, respectively. This result indicates that the investigated clay has a relatively high amount of clay minerals, which confers a high plasticity.

Figure 4
Particle size distribution of clay and the Sulfatreat waste.

Regarding the SW, Fig. 4 shows the particle size after its milling and sieving (42 mesh). It should be noticed that the SW has a coarser granulometry in comparison to the clay and d(50) of 0.02mm, i.e., 50% of the sample mass, larger than this diameter. These results indicate that the SW is adequate to be mixed with clays to fabricate red ceramic products, such as bricks and roofing tiles.

Figure 5 shows the Atterberg plasticity diagram with limit and index for both the plain clay ceramic and the 10 wt% SW incorporated clay ceramic. In this diagram, one should notice that only the 10 wt% SW incorporated clay ceramic is within the accepted optimal extrusion processing for red ceramic products.

Figure 5
Plasticity index in the Atterberg diagram for plain and 10 wt% SW incorporated clay ceramic.

The linear shrinkage of all ceramic compositions, sintered at 850ºC, is shown in Fig. 6. In this figure a decrease in the water absorption is observed for amounts higher than 2.5 wt% of incorporated SW. Clay ceramic compositions with 7.5 and 10 wt% of waste showed a reduction of 4 and 9% water absorption, respectively. This reduction might be attributed to the high content of silt fraction in the SW, Fig. 4, which provides a convenient packing for the ceramic. In other words, these results indicate that the SW particles act as desirable filler due to their relatively coarser particle size.

Figure 6
Linear shrinkage (a) and water absorption (b) of different ceramic compositions.

Figure 7 shows the relative dry density of the clay ceramic samples as a function of the amount of SW incorporated. This relative dry density is the ratio between the apparent density by the real density evaluated by pycnometry technique. The addition of 7.5 and 10 wt% waste caused an increase of around 8% in the packing degree as a result of the high content of silt and sand in the SW. This behavior is due to the relatively higher density of the waste (2.69 g/cm3) in comparison to the 2.65 g/cm3 of the clay, as well as the greater packing action caused by the SW addition.

Figure 7
Apparent density of the different ceramic compositions.

Figure 8 shows the flexural strength for different ceramic compositions sintered at 850ºC. It is important to note that all results are above the minimum value (2 MPa) recommended by the standard to produce massive bricks 3232 Vieira CMF, Queiroz L FT, Monteiro N. Influence of the Sand Addition on the Processing, Properties and Microstructure of Red Ceramic. Materials Science Forum. 2010;660-661:801-806.. Although all investigated compositions attend the recommended value, it is observed a decrease in mechanical strength of the clay ceramic with incorporation of SW. This result might be assigned to the relatively coarser particle size of the SW shown in Fig. 4. Indeed, the larger quartz particles, later shown in the clay ceramic microstructure, came from SW incorporation. These polygonal-shaped particles act as stress concentration and contribute to the premature failure of the brittle ceramic at lower stress levels. Moreover, quartz would have a change in volume due to allotropic transformation at 573°C 3333 ASTM International. ASTM D 854-10 - Standard Test Methods for Specific Gravity of Soil Solids by Water Pycnometer. West Conshohocken: ASTM International; 2010.. This might also contribute to cracks nucleation in the brittle ceramic, which would impair the flexural strength as shown in Fig. 8.

Figure 8
Flexural strength of the different ceramic compositions.

Figures 9 and 10 show optical microscopy images of the fracture surface of the ceramic with 0 and 10 wt% incorporated SW, respectively. All micrographs display a rough surface associated with some low consolidated particles. In Figure 8 it is observed small quartz particles (~50 µm) and muscovite mica elongated particles with size of 100 µm. Similar elongated muscovite mica particles are also observed in Fig 9 for the 10 wt% SW incorporated clay ceramic. In addition, some coarser quartz particles with size up to 200 µm were observed, which might significantly contribute to decrease the mechanical strength of the ceramic. It is worth mentioning that these particles in the SW act as a region of stress concentration causing small cracks around them, which is a critical factor to impair the mechanical strength of the investigated material.

Figure 9
Fracture surface of the plain clay ceramic without incorporated waste.

Figure 10
Fracture surface of the ceramic with 10 wt% of incorporated Sulfatreat waste.

In spite of the slight decrease in the mechanical strength caused by the SW incorporation, other improvements in the technical properties such as lower porosity and water absorption in association with possible reduction in cost and saving of clay extraction, strongly justify the fabrication of SW incorporated clay bricks. This first investigation on a Brazilian natural gas waste opens, for the first time, a viable solution for an increasing problem related to a relevant specific industrial waste management.

Figures 11 and 12 show SEM images with higher magnification details of the particles associated with the fracture of the plain clay ceramic and the 10 wt% SW incorporated clay ceramic, respectively. The results in these figures corroborate those in Fig 9 and 10, particularly regarding the contribution of large elongated muscovite mica and coarser quartz particles in the 10 wt% SW incorporated clay ceramic.

Figure 11
SEM fractography of the plain clay ceramic.

Figure 12
SEM fractography of the 10 wt% Sulfatreat waste incorporated clay ceramic.

Finally, Table 3 presents results of leaching and solubilization tests regarding the behavior of several metals including hazardous ones such as Mn, Cr, Zn, Pb and Ba existing in the SW, Table 2. These tests were performed at the Brazilian Institute of Technology (INT) according to the standards 3434 Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). NBR-10005 - Procedure for obtention leach extract from solid wastes. Rio de Janeiro: ABNT; 2004. (in Portuguese),3535 Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). NBR-10006 - Procedure for obtention of solubilized extraction of solid wastes. Rio de Janeiro: ABNT; 2004. (in Portuguese). The results in Table 3 indicate that concentration of all toxic metals in the 10 wt% SW incorporated clay ceramic are below the limits imposed by the Brazilian standard 3636 Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). NBR-10004 - Solid waste - Classification. Rio de Janeiro: ABNT; 2004.. Both Al and Fe are abundant in nature and not considered toxic metals.

Table 3
Results of leaching and solubilization tests.

4. Conclusions

  • The Sulfatreat waste (SW) displays a particle size suitable for incorporation into red clay ceramics. The high amount of silt fraction in the SW promotes an increase of the green clay body packing, which contributed to decrease both the porosity before and after sintering. Consequently, the SW incorporation reduces the water absorption.

  • The mineralogical composition of the SW also contributes to decrease the clay plasticity to an appropriate condition for the manufacture of special red ceramics such as roofing tiles.

  • Clay specimens were successfully incorporated with up to 10 wt% of SW and sintered at 850ºC attending the recommended value for massive bricks, in spite of a decreased in the mechanical strength of the ceramic.

  • The large production of SW in gas treatment units makes it a useful waste material to be incorporated into red clay ceramics and so becomes a viable and environmental friendly byproduct.

5. Acknowledgments

The authors thank the CNPq, proc. n. 302930/2014-0, and FAPERJ, proc. n. E-26/201.192/2014.

6. References

  • 1
    Campos AF, da Silva NF, Pereira MG, Freitas MAV. A review of Brazilian natural gas industry: Challenges and strategies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Review 2017;75:1207-1216. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.11.104
    » http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.11.104
  • 2
    Alves IAS, Aragão AFL, Bastos BL, Falcão JL, Fartes E. Pre-Salt Santos Basin C: Well Construction Learning Curve Acceleration. In: Proceedings of Offshore Technology Conference; 2009 May 4-7; Houston, TX, USA.
  • 3
    Beltrão RLC, Sombra CL, Lage ACVM, Netto JRF, Henriques CCD. Challenges and New Technologies for the Development of the Pre-salt Cluster, Santos Basin, Brazil. In: Proceedings of Offshore Technology Conference; 2009 May 4-7; Houston, TX, USA.
  • 4
    Fernandes E, Fonseca, MVA, Alonso PSR. Natural gas in Brazil’s energy matrix: demand for 1995-2010 and usage factors. Energy Policy 2005;33(3):365-386.
  • 5
    Augusto CR, Ribeiro CC, Fioravante AL, Elias ECS, Sobrinho DGC, Cunha VS, et al. Interlaboratory comparison for measurement of natural gas composition: a tool for performance evaluation. (In Portuguese). Petro & Química 2011;336:33-43.
  • 6
    Muñoz CP., Gome, Holland, L. Natural Gas. ed. FGV energy, Brasília, 2014.
  • 7
    Souza JR, Melo MAF. Desulfurization of natural gas using molecular sieves (in portuguese). In: I Workshop dos Programas de Recursos Humanos da ANP-UFRN, 2001, Natal. I Workshop dos Programas de Recursos Humanos da ANP-UFRN, 2001.
  • 8
    Fong HL, Kushner DS, Scott RT. Gas desulfurization using Sulferox. In: Proceedings of Laurence Reid Gas Conditioning Conference; 1987 Mar 2-4; Norman, OK, USA.
  • 9
    Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). NBR-10004 - Solid waste - Classification Rio de Janeiro: ABNT; 1987.
  • 10
    Monteiro SN, Vieira CMF. On the production of fired clay bricks from waste materials: A critical update. Construction and Building Materials 2014;68:599-610.
  • 11
    Muñoz Velasco P, Morales Ortíz MP, Mendívil Giró MA, Muñoz Velasco L. Fired clay bricks manufactured by adding waste as sustainable construction materials - A review. Construction and Building Materials 2014;63:97-107.
  • 12
    Zhang L. Production of bricks from waste materials - A review. Construction and Building Materials 2013;47:643-655.
  • 13
    Vieira CMF, Monteiro SN. Incorporation of solid waste in red ceramics - an updated review. Matéria (Rio de Janeiro) 2009;14(3):881-905.
  • 14
    Fernández-Pereira C, de la Casa JA, Gómez-Barea A, Arroyo F, Leiva C, Luna Y. Application of biomass gasification fly ash for brick manufacturing. Fuel 2011;90(1):220-232.
  • 15
    Eliche-Quesada D, Martínez-Martínez S, Pérez-Villarejo L, Iglesias-Godino FJ, Martínez-García C, Corpas-Iglesias FA. Valorization of biodiesel production residues in making porous clay bricks. Fuel Processing Technology 2012;103:166-173.
  • 16
    Pinheiro BCA, Holanda JNF. Processing of red ceramics incorporated with encapsulated petroleum waste. Journal of Materials Processing Technology 2009;209(15-16):5606-5610.
  • 17
    Hajjaji M, Khalfaoui A. Oil shale amended raw clay: Firing transformations and ceramic properties. Construction and Building Materials 2009;23(2):959-966.
  • 18
    Monteiro SN, Vieira CMF, Ribeiro MM, Silva FAN. Red ceramic industrial products incorporated with oily wastes. Construction and Building Materials 2006;21(11):2007-2011. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2006.05.035
    » https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2006.05.035
  • 19
    Segadães AM, Kniess C, Acchar W, Kuhnen NC, Hotza D. Pre-laboratory assessment of the reuse-potential of industrial wastes in clay-based products. In: Global Symposium on Recycling, Waste Treatment and Clean Technology; 2004 Sep 26-29; Madrid, Spain.
  • 20
    ASTM International. ASTM D 1945-14 - Standard Test Method for Analysis of Natural Gas by Gas Chromatography West Conshohocken: ASTM International; 2014.
  • 21
    Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). NBR-7181 - Soil - Grain size analysis Rio de Janeiro: ABNT; 2016. (in Portuguese)
  • 22
    ASTM International. ASTM C373-18 - Standard Test Methods for Determination of Water Absorption and Associated Properties by Vacuum Method for Pressed Ceramic Tiles and Glass Tiles and Boil Method for Extruded Ceramic Tiles and Non-tile Fired Ceramic Whiteware Products West Conshohocken: ASTM International; 2018.
  • 23
    ASTM International. ASTM C674-13(2018) - Standard Test Methods for Flexural Properties of Ceramic Whiteware Materials West Conshohocken: ASTM International; 2018.
  • 24
    Vieira CMF, da Silva PRN, da Silva FT, Capitaneo J, Monteiro SN. Microstructural Evaluation and Properties of a Ceramic Body for Extruded Floor Tile. Matéria (Rio de Janeiro) 2005;10(4):526-536.
  • 25
    Vieira CMF, Pinheiro RM. Evaluation of kaolinitic clays from Campos dos Goytacazes used for red ceramic fabrication. Cerâmica 2011;57(343):319-323.
  • 26
    Vieira CMF, Sánches RJ, Monteiro SN. Microstructure Evolution in Kaolinitic Clay as a Function of Firing Temperature. Interceram (Freiburg) 2005;54(4):268-271.
  • 27
    Monteiro SN, Vieira CMF. Characterization of Clays from Campos dos Goytacazes. North Rio de Janeiro State. Tile & Brick International 2002;18(3):152-157.
  • 28
    McColm IJ. Dictionary of Ceramic Science and Engineering 3rd ed. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media; 2013.
  • 29
    International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 6326-3:1989 - Natural gas -- Determination of sulfur compounds -- Part 3: Determination of hydrogen sulfide, mercaptan sulfur and carbonyl sulfide sulfur by potentiometry Geneva: ISO; 2007.
  • 30
    International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 6326-5 - Natural gas - Determination of sulfur compounds - Part 5: Lingener combustion method for total sulfur determination Geneva: ISO; 2007.
  • 31
    ABNT (Brazilian Association for Technical Norms (ABNT). NBR 7181/84 - Soil - Granulometric Analysis Rio de Janeiro: ABNT; 1984. (In Portuguese)
  • 32
    Vieira CMF, Queiroz L FT, Monteiro N. Influence of the Sand Addition on the Processing, Properties and Microstructure of Red Ceramic. Materials Science Forum 2010;660-661:801-806.
  • 33
    ASTM International. ASTM D 854-10 - Standard Test Methods for Specific Gravity of Soil Solids by Water Pycnometer West Conshohocken: ASTM International; 2010.
  • 34
    Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). NBR-10005 - Procedure for obtention leach extract from solid wastes Rio de Janeiro: ABNT; 2004. (in Portuguese)
  • 35
    Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). NBR-10006 - Procedure for obtention of solubilized extraction of solid wastes Rio de Janeiro: ABNT; 2004. (in Portuguese)
  • 36
    Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). NBR-10004 - Solid waste - Classification Rio de Janeiro: ABNT; 2004.

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    12 Aug 2019
  • Date of issue
    2019

History

  • Received
    11 Feb 2019
  • Reviewed
    22 May 2019
  • Accepted
    18 June 2019
ABM, ABC, ABPol UFSCar - Dep. de Engenharia de Materiais, Rod. Washington Luiz, km 235, 13565-905 - São Carlos - SP- Brasil. Tel (55 16) 3351-9487 - São Carlos - SP - Brazil
E-mail: pessan@ufscar.br