Mechanical activation of coal gasification fine slag and mechanical and thermal properties of coal gasification fine slag–poly(vinyl chloride) composites

Abstract

Abstract To facilitate the high-value utilization of activate coal gasification fine slag (CGFS), a wet mechanical activation process was used. As a result of this treatment, CGFS samples with different particle size distributions were obtained. The effects of mechanical activation on various physical and chemical properties of CGFS were investigated, including its particle size distribution, mineral composition, specific surface area, pore size, crystallinity, particle morphology, chemical bonding, and binding energy. Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/CGFS composites were prepared via a melt blending process, and their mechanical and thermal properties were evaluated. It was found that with increasing levels of mechanical activation, the CGFS particle size distribution became more concentrated and the particle spacing became more uniform. With the increasing mechanical activation, the crystallinity was found to decrease and the content of amorphous mineral matter (such as SiO2 and Al2O3) increased. The observed increase in specific surface area and decrease in average pore diameter due to the mechanical activation was seen to lead to an increase in the number of active sites. The produced PVC/CGFS composite materials were found to exhibit good mechanical properties and dynamic thermal stability. The thermal stability of the PVC composites was also found to improve relative to the composites produced without the use of mechanical activation.