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Bio-ceramic, anthracite, zeolite, steel slag and vermiculite were used as substrate according to different kinds of gradation to treat wastewater in vertical-flow constructed wetlands simulation systems. The results show that the removal ability of COD by graded substrates according to particle size are better than single substrates, and average removal efficiency by graded bio-ceramic is up to 72.91%. The removal rate of TN by graded zeolite, which reaches 91.23%, is higher than single zeolite. No significant difference (p < 0.05) is detected with regard to organic matter and nitrogen removal between single and combined use of bio-ceramic and zeolite. The pH values in effluents of all columns filled with steel slag and anthracite are within normal limits, but phosphorus removal of all columns filled with steel slag and anthracite are lower than that filled with single substrates, except for the column filled with anthracite, vermiculite and steel slag from up to down. No difference between planted and unplanted systems can be observed. The present results probably provide a basis for vertical-flow constructed wetland design, among which based on the characteristic of wastewater proper selection of high-efficiency graded substrates, e.g., graded bio-ceramic, graded zeolite, graded anthracite, combined use of bio-ceramic, zeolite and anthracite, is a guarantee of better performance at a high hydraulic loading rate.

Batch experiments were carried out to investigate the adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic characteristics of heavy metal ions Cu2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ on the electric are furnace (EAF) slag from Baoshan Steel Factory. Several kinds of techniques including XRD analysis, BET specific surface analysis and SEM/EDS analysis were employed to determine the physico-chemical and surface characteristics of slag. Results indicated that the adsorption rate of heavy metal ions on the EAF slag was relatively high, and the sorption rate followed the order Cd2+ > Pb2+ > Cu2+. The adsorption kinetics obeyed first-order kinetics model (R2 > 0.99). Adsorption isotherm experiment showed that adsorption isotherm of heavy metal ions on slag fitted Langmuir model, and the maximum adsorption capacity of Cu2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ was 0.101, 0.058 and 0.120 mmol x g(-1), respectively. The adsorption of heavy metal ions on slag was a spontaneous reaction (deltaG0 < 0) with endotherm (delta H0 < 0) and the increase of enthopy (AS0 > 0). The effect of enthopy was the main driving force of the spontaneous adsorption reaction. The analysis results of SEM/EDS revealed the changes of surface morphology and chemical proportion before and after adsorption. Due to low-cost and high-efficiency, electric are furnace slag showed great potential for the treatment of heavy metal polluted wastewaters.

The long-term phosphorus (P) adsorption and retention capacities of electric arc furnace (EAF) steel slag materials derived from one batch and a 278-d column experiments with a synthetic P solution were compared. The investigations of the regeneration of the P adsorption capacity by water level decrease was conducted. It was revealed column experiment on a long-term basis can determine P saturation of EAF accurately. And the results can be used for realistic estimations of constructed wetland systems (CWS) longevity. EAF slag showed a high afinity for P, reaching a saturation value of 1.65 g/kg. Regeneration experiment of the P adsorbing capacity by this material showed that, after 4 weeks of water level decrease, EAF steel slag was able to increase its initial P adsorption capacity to 2.65 g/kg. A sequential P fractionation experiment was performed to quantify the proportion of P bound to mineral compounds in EAF. From the most loosely bound to the most strongly bound P fraction, P1 was associated with resin extractable (13%), Fe extractable (0.5 mol/L Na2CO3, 39%), Al extractable (0.1 mol/L NaOH, 21%), Ca extractable (1 mol/L HCl, 13%), and Ca in a stable residual pool (concentrated hot HCl, 14%). X-ray fluorescence analyses of EAF steel slag chemical composition revealed that the continuous application of a P solution resulted in 300% and 170% increases in K2O and P2O5, respectively. Al2O3 and FeO increased by 8%, while the portion of CaO remained unchanged. The investigated properties (P retention potential, regeneration of P adsorption, P fractionation) provide useful data about the suitability of slag material as a media for longterm P removal and dry-wet operation can improve P retention capacity of EAF to prolong the longevity of full-scale CWS.

Some kinds of the high impurity ferromolybdenum alloy occurred in the ferroalloy market recently. The analysis result of the element Mo in high impurity ferromolybdenum alloy is not accurate using the routine chemical method, because of the coprecipitation of the impurity elements, compared with the final Mo content of poured steel ingots. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was applied to the analysis of ferromolybdenum alloy. The results show that EDX is an appropriate way to the determination of element Mo and Si in ferromolybdenum alloy, but can not be used to analyze element P, S and Cu. As the morphology of the sample has a strong influence on the analysis results, scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe the morphology of the sample. The detection precision of the element shall be raised, when the powder sample of the ferromolybdenum alloy are pressed into thinner disc sample using hydraulic universal testing machine.

In this experiment, the effects of gas composition and pressure on the intensity and quality of the plasma induced by a high-energy neodymium glass laser were studied. The experimental results show that the spectral intensity of the plasma in the argon atmosphere is stronger than that in the air when the pressure is the same. For the steel alloy sample, the intensities of the emission spectrum reach the maximum values when the argon pressure is 0.8 x 10(5) Pa. The self-absorption phenomena of Al II 308.22 and Al II 309.27 nm lines strengthen with the increase of the pressure, and even serious self-reversal appears when the pressure is (0.8-0.9) x 10(5) Pa. The temperature of plasma also raises with the increase of the pressure. When the argon pressure is 0.93 x 10(5) Pa, t h e temperature is about 1500 K higher than that when the argon pressure is about 0.43 x 10(5) Pa.