Treatment of simulated acid mine drainage with fly ash-doped porous concrete

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to demonstrate the technical feasibility of AMD treatment using fly ash-doped porous concrete (FAPC). The FAPC were prepared through adding the fly ash into the ordinary porous concretes (PC), and the acid mine drainage (AMD) was treated by FAPC in this paper. The results show that: At influent pH of 2.9-3.4 and 24 h hydraulic retention time, the acidity of AMD was improved significant by FAPC, and which the pH of effluent was maintained at 8-9. The average removal rate of turbidity, COD and TP of AMD were 69.7%, 75.4% and 91.9%, respectively. Compared to none fly ash-doped porous concrete that the FAPC improved the AMD purification effect, for turbidity, COD and TP the average removal rate were increased of 13.6%, 10.0% and 1.9%, respectively. The experimental results also show that, the porosity of all FAPC was decreased after the AMD treated, but all in less than 10% and which does not affect the use of FAPC in AMD treatment. In view of the purification effect of FAPC, it provides a new way of AMD treatment and resources. © 2013. The authors.