title: Synthesis of merlinoite from Chinese coal fly ashes and its potential utilization as slow release K-fertilizer.
abstract: This study focuses on the synthesis of merlinoite from Chinese coal fly ashes by KOH direct conversion method, with special emphasis on the application of synthetic merlinoite as fertilizer. These fly ashes were collected from two pulverized-coal combustion (PCC) power plants in Xinjiang, Northwest China. The synthesis results are influenced by fly ash characteristics and different synthesis conditions (KOH solution concentrations, activation temperature, time, and KOH/fly ash ratios). A high quality merlinoite-rich product was synthesized under optimal activation conditions (KOH concentration of 5M, activation temperature of 150°C, activation time of 8h and KOH/fly ash ratio of 2l/kg), with a cation exchange capacity (CEC) of 160cmolkg(-1). The synthetic merlinoite is proved to be an efficient slow release K-fertilizer for plant growth, indicating that it can be widely used for high-nutrient demanding crops growing in nutrient-limited soils and for large-area poor soil amendment in opencast coal mine areas around the power plants that will substantially grow with the increasing coal combustion in Xinjiang in the near future.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tectonics and Petroleum Resources, China University of Geosciences, Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430074, China. Electronic address: lijing02003140@163.com.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tectonics and Petroleum Resources, China University of Geosciences, Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430074, China.
authors.forename: Xinguo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, CSIC, C/Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain.
authors.forename: Oriol
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Font
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, CSIC, C/Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, Barcelona 08028, Spain.
authors.forename: V Ramon
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Vallejo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, CSIC, C/Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Querol
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, CSIC, C/Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain.
authors.forename: Aurelio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tobias
mesh_terms: D060729:Coal Ash / Q000737:chemistry*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D005308:Fertilizers; D006368:Helianthus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D006878:Hydroxides / Q000737:chemistry; D007220:Industrial Waste; D011188:Potassium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017680:Potassium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D011210:Power Plants; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods; D017641:Zeolites / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D060729:Coal Ash; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005308:Fertilizers; D006878:Hydroxides; D007220:Industrial Waste; D017680:Potassium Compounds; D017641:Zeolites; D011188:Potassium; C029943:potassium hydroxide
keywords: Chinese coal fly ash; Merlinoite; Slow-release K fertilizer; Soil reclamation; Zeolite synthesis