The article describes an X-ray fluorescence method for quantitative analysis of sulfate and total sulfur in bottom sediments of watercourses and reservoirs located in the area of industrial enterprises impact. The quantitative determination of sulfur forms was carried out by analyzing the characteristic curves SKα1,2 and SKβ1,3, as well as the satellite line SKβ′ on X-ray emission spectra measured by an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer with wavelength dispersion. The study shows that these characteristic curves allow not only to determine the predominant form of sulfur, but also to separately conduct quantitative analyses of sulfates and total sulfur after fitting peaks and to separately analyze overlapping spectral lines. The results of quantitative analysis of the chemical state of sulfur by the proposed X-ray fluorescence method were compared with the results of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and elemental analysis, as well as certified standard samples of soils and sediments. The results are in good agreement with each other.
The paper considers a current issue of ash and slag processing for the Polyus Aldan JSC, that has accumulated over 1 million tons of this waste. Following the results of the review of Russian and foreign literature, four promising areas of their use were selected: road construction, building materials, reclamation of disturbed lands, and inert aggregates. To assess the possibility of implementing the selected disposal directions, the samples of ash and slag waste of the enterprise were sampled and analyzed. Fuel characteristics, chemical and mineral composition, as well as physico-chemical and mechanical properties of waste were determined. Taking into account the results of complex laboratory studies and the requirements of regulatory documents, each of the selected areas of using ash and slag waste was evaluated. It was found that their disposal by traditional methods has limitations, mainly related to the high content of unburned fuel residues. The high content of combustible substances and the high specific heat of combustion with a relatively low ash content suggested the possibility of thermal disposal of the studied waste. Based on the literature data, the characteristics of the preparation of organic coal-water suspensions based on the studied ash and slag waste were selected. As a result of a series of experiments on their flaring, the expediency of using the obtained fuel at the enterprise under consideration has been proved. The authors note the possibility of using ash obtained after thermal waste disposal in the road construction industry. The prospects for further research of technologies for the preparation and combustion modes of suspension fuel based on ash and slag waste are determined.
