Coating conductive nanoparticles onto the surface of hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) is essential for broadening their applications. However, the low density and high specific surface area of HGM powders, along with the thin walls of the cavity shells and poor surface adhesion, pose challenges for the uniform attachment of functional particles. In this study, we developed a novel integrated process that combines flotation, hydroxylation, and amination pretreatment for HGMs with in situ surface polymerization to achieve a uniform coating of polypyrrole (PPy) on the surface of HGMs. We explored the corresponding growth process and coating mechanism. Our findings indicate that the amount of coating, particle size, and uniformity of PPy on the surface of HGMs are significantly influenced by the pretreatment and the in situ polymerization time, as well as the microspheres/pyrrole feedstock ratio. The in situ polymerization on the surface of HGMs resulted in a uniform encapsulation of spherical PPy, with the average particle size of PPy-coated HGMs (PPy@HGMs) increasing by 14.60% compared to the original HGMs. The elemental nitrogen in the PPy@HGMs primarily exists in the form of C-N and N-H bonds. This study demonstrates that the surface functional groups of HGMs engage in chemical bonding and interactions with PPy molecules. Mechanistic analysis reveals that the hydroxyl and amino groups enriched on the surface of the pretreated HGMs serve as activation centers, facilitating the uniform enrichment of pyrrole monomers and promoting chain growth polymerization of the conjugated chain through nucleophilic and electrophilic interactions with the subamino groups in the pyrrole ring. Additionally, the reaction between the Lewis acid properties of PPy and the Lewis-type electron-donating amino groups in KH550 fosters strong bonding and the formation of a robust interface.

To investigate the combustion process and reduce Nitric Oxide (NO) emissions in the vertical heating flue of air-staged coke ovens, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics method was applied to simulate the combustion process. The model integrates the k-ε turbulence model with a multi-component transport combustion model. The impact of air staging on the flow field and NO emissions in the vertical fire chamber was assessed through comparative validation with experimental data. The impact of air staging on the flow field and NO emissions in the vertical fire chamber was assessed through comparative validation with experimental data. Based on this research, the effects of the excess air coefficient and air inlet distribution ratio on NO emission levels at the flue gas outlet were further investigated. Analysis of the flow field structure, temperature at the center cross-section, component concentration, and NO emission levels indicates that as the excess air coefficient increases, the NO emission levels at the flue gas outlet initially decrease and then increase, accompanied by corresponding changes in outlet temperature. At an air excess factor of 1.3 and an air inlet distribution ratio of 7:3, NO emission levels are at their lowest—53% lower than those in a conventional coke oven—and the temperature distribution in the riser channel is more uniform. These results provide a theoretical foundation for designing the air-staged coke oven standing fire channel structure.