Incorporation of organic fungicides in bindered anthracite bricks for improved storage and performance in iron foundries
Open Access
- Author:
- Kelsey, Dane Jared
- Graduate Program:
- Environmental Engineering
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- November 11, 2013
- Committee Members:
- Rachel Alice Brennan, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Fred Scott Cannon, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor - Keywords:
- Fungicides
Neem Oil
Copper
Alternative Fuels
Metal Prodcution - Abstract:
- Anthracite bricks bound with collagen, lignin, and silicon metals have the potential to be used as an alternative fuel source for metal production in iron foundries. However, humid conditions and prolonged storage may promote fungal growth on the organic binder materials decreasing the strength and performance of the bricks in a cupola furnace. The organic fungicidal neem compounds, azadirachtin, crude neem oil (NO), and clarified neem oil extract (CNO), were examined for their effective growth inhibition of ectomycorrhizal soft-rot fungus Chaetomium globosum. When the most effective neem compound, CNO, was combined with a low dose of copper, a synergistic fungicidal interaction was observed on nutrient media (two-factor ANOVA with triplicate replication: P < 0.05). Interaction was confirmed on lab-scale anthracite briquettes, with identical composition of full-scale foundry bricks, by measuring unconfined compressive (UC) strength at room temperature to primarily quantify collagen degradation. Effective collagen strength was enhanced by applying CNO to the surface of the briquettes. Effective collagen strength increased 28 ± 4.6% when CNO (0.4 mg/cm2) was surface-applied or 43 ± 3.0% when CNO and copper (0.14 μg/cm2) were surface-applied, even with fungus present. Effective lignin strength was measured by UC strength after pyrolysis of the briquettes and revealed a decrease in strength; however, pyrolyzed samples still retained an average of 76 ± 13% of the effective lignin strength when CNO was surface-applied. These results indicate that clarified neem oil extract and copper can be combined to prevent fungal growth on bindered anthracite bricks and improve the storage and performance of the bricks in iron foundry metal production.