Utilizing biomass such as lignin, bamboo, soybean, corn stalk, rice husk, etc., as a carbon source to produce graphene-based nanomaterials has been reported recently. However, the potential of using such nanomaterials for engineering and environmental applications has not been realized. This dissertation investigates the use of graphene-based nanomaterials synthesized from using biomass as a carbon source for water remediation and cement-based composites’ (CBCs) property enhancement. The first chapter introduces graphene and graphene-based nanomaterials, as well as the synthesis and application of graphene-based nanomaterials for removing heavy metals in an aqueous solution and for property enhancement in CBCs. The experimental investigation on the pyrolytic synthesis of graphene-encapsulated iron nanoparticles from biochar (BC) as the carbon source (BC-G@Fe0) was covered in the second chapter. Two synthetic routes for producing BC-G@Fe0, i.e., impregnation-carbonization (route-I) and pyrolysis-impregnation-carbonization (route-II) processes, were investigated experimentally using different characterization techniques and heavy metal removal methods. The third chapter reports the experimental performances of the heavy metal removal of Pb2+, Cu2+, and Ag+ from an aqueous solution using BC-G@Fe0. The effectivenesses of various adsorption benchmarks, such as pH, kinetics, and isotherms were assessed. Additionally, the removal efficiency of BC-G@Fe0 was evaluated. BC-G@Fe0 sample made from route II, in particular, FeCl2-impregnated-BC with 15% wt% iron loading carbonized at 1000 ℃ for 1h showed promising Pb2+, Cu2+, and Ag+ removal capacities of 0.30, 1.58, and 1.91 mmol/g, respectively. The fourth chapter experimentally investigated the reinforcement effect of commercially sourced, industrial graphene nanoplates (IG) on the mechanical properties of CBCs. This investigation was based on a hypothesis that the uniform dispersion of IG would significantly enhance the compressive strength of CBC. The main outcome of this research was that, while the wet dispersion mixing process of IG into CBC did not consistently yield significant increases in the composite compressive strength, but the newly proposed dry dispersion process demonstrated significant increases (22%) in the composite compressive strength. Chapter Five investigated the synthesis of lignin-based graphene nanoplatelets (LG) and their application in CBC reinforcement. The main findings were that LG did not show impressive increases compared to IG, even when dry dispersion was introduced. This was attributed to LG's lack of effective surface area compared to IG. Finally, a general conclusion and outlook for the future of research into biomass-based graphene nanomaterials were discussed in chapter six.

Dagvatten från urbana områden utgör en ökande utmaning för växande städer, eftersom det för med sig metallpartiklar och andra föroreningar från hårdgjorda ytor till närliggande vattenförekomster. Dessa föroreningar kan härstamma från källor som fordonstrafik och korrosion av metallstrukturer. Detta utgör även ett framtida bekymmer för Stockholm, eftersom staden prognostiserar en betydande befolkningsökning fram till 2040. För att möta behoven kommer Stockholm behöva konstruera fler bostäder och utöka sin infrastruktur, vilket i sin tur kommer att resultera i ökade föroreningar och hårdgjorda ytor.  Ett antal kommuner i Sverige har fastställt riktvärden för att reglera metallkoncentrationerna i dagvatten som släpps till olika recipienter. Traditionellt utförs rening av dagvatten huvudsakligen genom användning av dagvattendammar, som använder sig av sedimentering för att rena partikulära föroreningar. Eftersom metallföroreningar även kan förekomma i löst form, uppstår en utmaning då lösta metaller inte kan sedimentera. Det är också viktigt att fånga upp just den lösta delen av föroreningarna, eftersom den är mer biologiskt tillgänglig. En möjlig metod för att rena dagvatten från både metallpartiklar och lösta metaller är användningen av filter, specifikt reaktiva filter.  Detta arbete ingår i det övergripande projektet "Driftsäker och hållbar dagvattenrening för lösta föroreningar", som initierades av Trafikverket i samarbete med KTH. Denna studie bygger vidare på tidigare projekt och har som syfte att undersöka reningsförmågan hos filtersand och fyra reaktiva filter i en pilotanläggning belägen i Fredhäll, Stockholm, Sverige. Dagvattnet som renades i anläggningen kom från Essingeleden, och studien genomfördes under vinterförhållanden, med faktorer som höga salthalter och låga temperaturer. Resultaten visade över lag en god total reningsförmåga för alla filter för större delen av de 11 undersökta metallerna. I det inkommande vattnet observerades relativt höga metallkoncentrationer av Cr, Cu och Zn jämfört med riktvärdena som fastställts av Järfälla, Linköping och Göteborg kommun samt de förslagna riktvärdena från Stockholms län. I förhållande till alla riktvärden (även fysikaliska parametrar) var det enbart Filtralite P som klarade dessa men om man bortser från pH framgick det att filtermaterialet Petrit TS gav den sammantaget bästa reningen i förhållande till samtliga riktvärden. / Stormwater from urban areas poses a growing challenge for expanding cities as it carries metal particles and other pollutants from impervious surfaces into nearby water bodies. These pollutants can originate from factors such as vehicular traffic and corrosion of metal structures. This also presents a future concern for Stockholm as the city expects a significant increase of its population by 2040. To meet the demands, Stockholm will need to construct more housing and expand its infrastructure, which will result in increased pollutants that need to be addressed and more impervious surfaces.  A few municipalities in Sweden have established guidelines for allowed metal concentrations in stormwater that is discharged into nature. Traditionally, stormwater treatment is primarily carried out using stormwater ponds, which utilize sedimentation to remove particulate pollutants. However, a challenge arises because metal pollutants can also occur in dissolved form, and dissolved metals cannot be removed through sedimentation. It is of importance to capture the dissolved fraction as it is more biologically available. One possible method for treating stormwater and removing both metal particles and dissolved metals is the use of filters, specifically reactive filters.  This work is part of the larger project "Reliable and Sustainable Stormwater Treatment for Dissolved Pollutants," initiated by the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) in collaboration with KTH Royal Institute of Technology. This study builds upon previous projects and this study objective is to examines the treatment effectiveness of a sandfilter and four reactive filters in a pilot facility located in Fredhäll, Stockholm, Sweden. The stormwater used in the facility is sourced from Essingeleden, and the study was conducted under winter conditions, including high salt concentrations and low temperatures. The results generally demonstrated good overall total metal removal by all filters for the 11 metals investigated. Additionally, in relation to the guidelines set by Järfälla, Linköping and Göteborg municipalities and Stockholm County, it was observed that the influent water had a relatively high metal concentrations of Cr, Cu, and Zn. Furthermore, out of all the filters tested it was only Filtralite P met the stormwater guidelines (including physical parameters), however, if the criteria concerning pH is disregarded then the filter material Petrit TS provided the highest metal removal efficiency for all of the guideline metals.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T18:07:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alvaro Cesar Dias Alves.pdf: 1860253 bytes, checksum: fce25e3199fa4e1f2d24f3500c996153 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-24 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the process of coagulation/ flocculation and coagulation/flocculation/adsorption combined process for treatment of liquid effluent from the electroplanting industry. Were used the moringa seed as a natural coagulant agent and moringa bark and string bean as adsorbents. Were evaluated the parameters COD, color, pH, turbidity and the concentration of metal ions Cr, Zn, Cu and Ni. In the stage of coagulation/ flocculation were used several concentrations of moringa in salt solution of NaCl 1 M and 0.1M. In the stage of the combined adsorbents were used moringa bark and string beans to determine which of the adsorbent had a better removal efficiency of metals. Tests were also conducted with different ranges of mass for the best adsorbent and variation of pH of the studied effluent. Tests of coagulation/flocculation showed good removal efficiency for the parameters COD, Color, Turbidity and the metals Cr, Zn, Cu and Ni using MO seed in salt solution 1M, these values being 90.49%, 78.34%, 95.13%, 25.29%, 84.30%, 51.11% and 24.74% respectively. In the tests of coagulation/flocculation/adsorption the maximum removal efficiencies were 91.41% for COD, 90.77% for color, 95.31% for Turbidity, 58.36% for Cr, 98.36% for Zn, 97,58% for Cu and 99.11% for Ni. The research showed that after the combined process the electroplanting effluent did not present the necessary characteristics for the released in to water bodies due to the high remaining concentration of Cr (1907.4 mg/L), Color (860 PtCo/L) and COD (330 mg/L). The research for the treatment process demonstrated great effectiveness for most parameters analyzed, however, its necessary to study complementary technologies for this type of treatment effluent in order to achieve an effluent within the release standards into the water bodies. / Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a eficiência do processo de coagulação/floculação e do processo combinado de coagulação/floculação/adsorção para tratamento de efluente liquido da indústria galvânica. Foi utilizada a semente de moringa como coagulante natural e a casca e a vagem de moringa como adsorventes. Foram avaliados os parâmetros DQO, Cor, pH, Turbidez e a concentração dos íons metálicos Cr, Zn, Cu e Ni. Na etapa de coagulação/floculação foram utilizadas várias concentrações de moringa em solução salina de NaCl 1M e 0,1M. Na etapa do processo combinado foram utilizados os adsorventes casca e vagem de moringa para determinação do adsorvente com melhor eficiência de remoção dos metais. Também foram realizados ensaios com variação de massa do melhor adsorvente e variação do pH do efluente estudado. Os ensaios de coagulação/floculação mostraram boa eficiência de remoção dos parâmetros DQO, Cor, Turbidez e dos metais Cr, Zn, Cu e Ni utilizando semente de MO em solução salina 1M, sendo esses valores 90,49%, 78,34%, 95,13%, 25,29%, 84,30%, 51,11% e 24,74%, respectivamente. Nos ensaios de coagulação/floculação/adsorção as eficiências máximas de remoção foram 91,41% para DQO, 90,77% para Cor, 95,31% para Turbidez, 58,36% para Cr, 98,36% para Zn, 97,58% para Cu e 99,11% para Ni. Verificou-se que após o processo combinado o efluente galvânico não apresentou as características necessárias para lançamento em corpos hídricos em função da alta concentração remanescente de Cr (1907,4 mg/L), Cor (860 PtCo/L) e DQO (330 mg/L). Verificou-se que os processos de tratamento estudados demonstraram eficiência para a maioria dos parâmetros analisados, entretanto, fazem-se necessários estudar tecnologias complementares para o tratamento deste tipo de efluente com intuito de obter um efluente dentro dos padrões de lançamentos em corpos receptores.

The increasing highway traffic is leading to higher and higher levels of pollutants in the stormwater, such as suspended solids, metals, oils, nutrients and PAH. This runoff water causes the degradation of water bodies quality, leading to increased interest in the treatment of highway runoff for the removal of contaminants. Traditional treatments mostly consist of sedimentation, aimed primarily at the removal of suspended solids and particlebound contaminants. Recently the concern has shifted to the dissolved and colloidal fractions of contaminants as well, metals in particular, which makes reactive media filters a potentially interesting technology for runoff water treatment. However, very little research has been carried out on this technology so far, mostly in batch laboratory experiments with synthetic runoff water. This study aims at investigating the performance of four reactive media filters (Petrit T, Polonite, D-Rainclean and Filtralite-P) and a defined filter sand used for water processing at removing dissolved and particulate-bound metals. To achieve the goal, a pilot plant has been constructed in Gröndal, south of Stockholm, inside the existing Gröndalsmagasin, a full-scale stormwater treatment plant. The catchment area is located mostly on the E4 and Essingeleden, the highest trafficked motorway in Sweden with an AADT of 140 000 vehicles. A pump feeds the pilot plant from the Gröndalsmagasin outlet, after the stormwater has been treated with flocculation and sedimentation, and collects such water in a collection vessel. The five filter media columns are fed during runoff events with a flow scaled proportionally to the influent in the Gröndalsmagasin to mimic real conditions of flow and pollutant concentrations. Field measurements of pH, turbidity and conductivity, have been carried out during the trial. Samples have also been collected with flow proportional samplers connected to the collection vessel and the outlet of the five columns, as well as in the form of grab samples from sample ports at different depths in the columns. These samples have been sent to ALS Scandinavia AB to perform lab analysis. The pH in the effluent of the reactive filter media increased to values between 10 and 13, and slowly decreased during the trial. No difference was found between the pH in Filtersand outlet and the influent water. All materials showed excellent performance at removal of dissolved and particulate-bound Zn as well as particulate-bound Cu. Dissolved Cu was removed effectively by reactive media, and to a minor extent by Filtersand. Leaching of metals was observed from three materials: Filtersand released Mn during April, Polonite released Cr, with a very good correlation with the Chloride content and Petrit-T released Ba during the entire trials. / Den ökande vägtrafiken leder till allt högre halter av föroreningar i dagvattnet, till exampel suspenderade ämnen, metaller, oljor, närings ämnen och PAH. Detta dagvatten försämrar degradering av vattenförekomsternas kvalitet, vilket har lett till ett ökat intresse för rening av dagvatten fr ̊ån motorvägar för att avlägsna föroreningar. Traditionella behandlingar består oftast av sedimentering, som främst syftar till att reducera suspenderade ämnen och partikelbundna föroreningar. På senaste tiden har intresset förskjutits till att även omfatta lösta och kolloidala fraktioner av föroreningar, speciellt metaller, vilket gör reaktiva filtermaterial till en potentiellt intressant teknik f ̈or behandling av dagvatten. Mycket lite forskning har dock gjorts om denna teknik hittills, då oftast i laboratorieexperiment med syntetiskt dagvatten. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka hur fyra reaktiva mediafilter (Petrit T, Polonite, D-Rainclean och Filtralite-P) och en typ av sandfilter fungerar när det gäller att avlägsna lösta och partikelbundna metaller. F ̈or att uppnå målet har en pilotanläggning byggts i Gröndal, söder om Stockholm, inuti det existerande Gröndalsmagasinet, ett dagvattenreningsverk i full skala. Avrinningsområdet ligger vid E4 och Essingeleden, den mest trafikerade motorvägen i Sverige med en ÅDT på 140 000 fordon. En pump matar pilotanläggningen fr ̊ån Gröndalsmagasinets utlopp, efter att dagvattnet har behandlats med flockning och sedimentering, och samlas upp detta vatten i ett uppsamlingskärl. De fem filtreringskolonnerna matas under avrinningshändelserna med ett flöde som är proportionellt till inflödet till Gröndalsmagasinet för att imitera verkliga förhållanden av flöde och föroreningskoncentrationer. Mätningar av pH, turbiditet och konduktivitet har utförts under försöket. Prover har också samlats in med flödesproportionella provtagare som är kopplade till uppsamlingskärlet och utloppet fr ̊an de fem kolonnerna, samt i form av grabbprover fr ̊an provtagningsöppningar på olika djup i kolonnerna. Dessa prover har skickats till ALS Scandinavia AB för laboratorieanalys. pH-värdet i utflödet fr ̊ån det reaktiva filtermediet ökade till värden mellan 10 och 13 och sjönk långsamt under försöket. Ingen skillnad hittades mellan pH-värdet i filtrets utlopp och inflödesvattnet. Alla material visade mycket goda resultat när det gäller avlägsnande av löst och partikulät bundet Zn samt partikulärt bundet Cu. Lösta Cu avlägsnades mycket effektivt av reaktiva medier och i mindre utsträckning av Filtersand. Läckage av metaller observerades fr ̊ån tre material: Filtersand släppte ut Mn under April, Polonite släppte ut Cr, med en mycket god korrelation med kloridhalten och Petrit-T släppte ut Ba under hela försöket.