Solvent extraction applied to the recovery of heavy metals from galvanic sludge

High-Efficiency Removal of Lead and Nickel Using Four Inert Dry Biomasses: Insights into the Adsorption Mechanisms

In this study, inert dry bioadsorbents prepared from corn cob residues (CCR), cocoa husk (CH), plantain peels (PP), and cassava peels (CP) were used as adsorbents of heavy metal ions (Pb²⁺ and Ni²⁺) in single-batch adsorption experiments from synthetic aqueous solutions. The physicochemical properties of the bioadsorbents and the adsorption mechanisms were evaluated using different experimental techniques. The results showed that electrostatic attraction, cation exchange, and surface complexation were the main mechanisms involved in the adsorption of metals onto the evaluated bioadsorbents. The percentage removal of Pb²⁺ and Ni²⁺ increased with higher adsorbent dosage, with Pb²⁺ exhibiting greater biosorption capacity than Ni²⁺. The bioadsorbents showed promising potential for adsorbing Pb²⁺ with monolayer adsorption capacities of 699.267, 568.794, 101.535, and 116.820 mg/g when using PP, CCR, CH, and CP, respectively. For Ni²⁺, Langmuir's parameter had values of 10.402, 26.984, 18.883, and 21.615, respectively, for PP, CCR, CH, and CP. Kinetics data fitted by the pseudo-second-order model revealed that the adsorption rate follows this order: CH > CP > CCR > PP for Pb²⁺, and CH > CCR > PP > CP for Ni²⁺. The adsorption mechanism was found to be controlled by ion exchange and precipitation. These findings suggest that the dry raw biomasses of corn cob residues, cocoa husk, cassava, and plantain peels can effectively remove lead and nickel, but further research is needed to explore their application in industrial-scale and continuous systems.

Effective Removal of Fe (III) from Strongly Acidic Wastewater by Pyridine-Modified Chitosan: Synthesis, Efficiency, and Mechanism

A novel pyridine-modified chitosan (PYCS) adsorbent was prepared in a multistep procedure including the successive grafting of 2-(chloromethyl) pyridine hydrochloride and crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. Then, the as-prepared materials were used as adsorbents for the removal of metal ions from acidic wastewater. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to study the impact of various factors such as solution pH value, contact time, temperature, and Fe (III) concentration. The results showed that the absorbent exhibited a high capacity of Fe (III) and the maximum adsorption capacity was up to 66.20 mg/g under optimal experimental conditions (the adsorption time = 12 h, pH = 2.5, and T = 303 K). Adsorption kinetics and isotherm data were accurately described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Sips model, respectively. Thermodynamic studies confirmed that the adsorption was a spontaneous endothermic process. Moreover, the adsorption mechanism was investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results revealed the pyridine group forms a stable chelate with iron (III) ions. Therefore, this acid-resistant adsorbent exhibited excellent adsorption performance for heavy metal ions from acidic wastewater compared to the conventional adsorbents, helping realize direct decontamination and secondary utilization.

Comparative physicochemical analysis of galvanic sludge wastes

The paper provides the physicochemical analysis of galvanic sludge to determine the presence and concentration of toxic metals. Two sludges sampled from the same factory, but from different technological processes, alkaline galvanic sludge obtained from galvanizing process and acidic sludge generated from the chromium plating process were analyzed. Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) revealed increased concentrations of toxic heavy metal ions Zn²⁺, Cr³⁺, Ni²⁺ and Pb²⁺ in the sludge from the galvanizing process and Cr³⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺ from the chroming process. Moreover, the sludges were further physicochemically characterized by Reflectance Fourier Transform InfraRed Spectrometry (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy Analysis (SEM-EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results of ICP-OES were corroborated by FTIR. Analysis of FTIR spectra revealed the specific bands indicating the existence of metal oxides in the analyzed sludges, as well as the presence of organic substances, i.e. solvents and surfactants, used in the electroplating process. The analysis was accomplished following international norms and confirmed the increased concentrations of heavy metal ions from both sludges. In line with the regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the results proved the hypothesis that galvanic sludge is hazardous waste.

Immobilization of heavy metals in tannery sludge by the formation of tobermorite in subcritical water treatment with rice husk silica

Tannery sludge, heavy metals (HMs) enriched hazardous solid waste, is produced extensively in many regions of the world. Even though the sludge is hazardous, it can be considered a material resource, if organic matter and HMs in the sludge can be stabilized to minimize its negative environmental impacts. This research aimed to evaluate the efficacy of using subcritical water (SCW) treatment for tannery sludge treatment through immobilization and thus reduction of HMs to mitigate their potential environmental risk and toxicity. HMs in the tannery sludge were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the average concentration of HMs (mg kg^-1) was found in the following decreasing order of Cr (12 950) > Fe (1265) > Cu (76) > Mn (44) > Zn (36) > Pb (14) with very high Cr concentration. The result of toxicity characteristics leaching procedure and sequential extraction procedure tests revealed that the raw tannery sludge leachate contained 11.24 mg L^-1 Cr, which classified the raw tannery sludge into a very high-risk category. After SCW treatment, the concentration of Cr in leachate was reduced to 1.6 mg L^-1 indicating risk reduction to a low-risk category. The eco-toxicity levels of other HMs also decreased considerably after SCW treatment. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis were employed to identify the effective immobilizing substances formed in the SCW treatment process. The favorable formation of immobilizing orthorhombic tobermorite (Ca₅Si₆O₁₆(OH)₂·4H₂O) at 240 °C in the SCW treatment process was confirmed by XRD and SEM analysis. The results confirmed that the formation of 11 Å tobermorite is capable of strongly immobilizing HMs in the SCW treatment process. Further, both orthorhombic 11 Å tobermorite and 9 Å tobermorite were successfully synthesized by SCW treatment on a mixture of tannery sludge including rice husk silica and Ca(OH)₂ with water under rather mild conditions. Hence, it can be concluded that SCW treatment of tannery sludge with supplementary silica from rice husk can effectively immobilize the HMs and significantly reduce their environmental risk through tobermorite formation.

Cu(II) removal from water by trimercapto-s-triazine trisodium salt modified alkaline lignin

To overcome the poor removal ability of alkaline lignin (AL) toward heavy metals, trimercapto-s-triazine trisodium salt (TMT) was selected as the modifying agent to introduce reaction groups. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra and the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) suggested that -SNa, C-N, and C = N groups were successfully introduced. Copper (II) was applied to evaluate the uptake performance of the adsorbent (AL-TMT). Adsorbent dosage and solution pH were taken into account to study their effects in the batch experiments. The pseudo-second-order dynamics and Langmuir models better described the experimental data. Nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) functional groups in thiotriazinone carried by AL-TMT were determined to be the primary uptake sites through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), FT-IR, and electrostatic potential (ESP). The selective experiments of AL-TMT toward Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), Zn(II), Co(II), and Mg(II) were performed. It showed that AL-TMT possessed better adsorption selectivity toward Cu(II) than others. Furthermore, the density functional theory (DFT) calculations of thiotriazinone in AL-TMT also exhibited the lowest binding energy toward Cu than toward others. This work may provide a theoretical basis to facilitate the extraction of specific heavy metals from water or wastewater by using such modified alkaline lignin.

Metallurgical Wastes as Resources for Sustainability of the Steel Industry

The industrial pollution caused by metallurgical waste accumulation has a negative impact on the three environmental factors: soil, air and water. Therefore, the correct management of these wastes would lead to: protection of the environmental factors, the saving of natural resources and sustainability of the steel industry. The purpose of this paper is to assess the chemical and mineralogical compositions of metallurgical wastes landfilled in the Păgida slag dump (Alba County, Romania), for sustainability of the steel industry and metal conservation. The chemical compositions of the two waste samples were analyzed by the XRF (X-ray fluorescence) technique. According to the chemical characterization, magnesium oxide (MgO) has potential to be used as an additional and raw material in the cement industry. The presence of oxides such as CaO, SiO2 FeO and Al2O3 in the compositions of the metallurgical waste samples indicate that they have the potential for use as clinker materials in cement production. The iron and manganese contents from metallurgical wastes can be reused in the iron and steel industry. The presence of V2O5 and TiO2 is connected with the making of stainless steel, and for this reason they have the potential to be reused in the stainless steel industry. The predominant chemical compounds are SiO2, Fetotal, Cao and MgO. The mineralogical compositions were analyzed by the XRD (X-ray diffraction) technique. The mineralogical compounds presenting reuse potential in different domains are Fayalite, Magnetite, Magnesioferrite and Periclase. The mineralogical compounds from metallurgical wastes can be reused as: raw and/or additional materials in the process from which they originate (steelmaking); raw and/or additional materials in road construction and concrete production; pigments in paints; micronutrients in fertilizers; ore of iron, etc. Then, the theoretical assessments of the recovery potentials of the metals were estimated for slag dumps. Copper (Cu), vanadium (V), molybdenum (Mo) and nickel (Ni) have high recovery potential. The total economic value of the recovery potential of metals from slag dumps was assessed to be USD 1175.7440 million.

The Effect of Silicate Ions on the Separation of Lithium From Geothermal Fluid

In an enhanced geothermal system (EGS), geothermal energy in rocks with insufficient permeability or fluid saturation can be used by creating artificial geothermal reservoirs. Generally, EGS geothermal fluid contains high concentrations of total dissolved solids that originated from various geochemical reactions between the fluid in the reservoir and the minerals in the rock. For example, the concentration of lithium ions are measured approximately 150 mg/L, and several researchers have focused on the recovery of lithium in the geothermal fluid using various methods, one of which is liquid extraction. Solvent extraction has been used to recover lithium from various sources, and successful recovery efficiency have been attained. However, the geothermal fluid in EGS reservoirs contains high concentrations of SiO2, which might inhibit the selective recovery of lithium. Thus, in this study, two consecutive stages of solvent extraction were used to separate the lithium from the geothermal fluid that contained different concentrations of SiO2 ions. The divalent ions were removed in the first stage, and the lithium ions were extracted effectively in the second stage. The SiO2 inhibits the selective recovery of lithium in the first stage to a greater extent than it does in the second stage. The spectroscopy data shows a decrease of the organic solvents main functional group (P=O & P-O-H) absorbance that reacts with the metal ions of the geothermal water after extraction however the intensity difference was reduced as the SiO2 concentrations increases. Silicate ions can be problematic due to the formation of scaling in EGSs, so controlling its concentration in the geothermal reservoir would be beneficial for the long-term operation of EGSs and for the successful recovery of valuable metal resources from EGS reservoirs.

Stepwise extraction of Fe, Al, Ca, and Zn: A green route to recycle raw electroplating sludge

Electroplating sludge is a hazardous waste produced in large quantities in the electroplating industry during production. It is rich in heavy metal resources and can be recovered as value-added heavy metal products. To recover Zn in electroplating sludge, Fe/Al/Ca impurities were effectively removed as hematite, boehmite, and calcium sulfate, respectively, via a facile hydrothermal method with reduction of nitric acid by addition of glucose. After the sludge was dissolved in nitric acid, the generated solution contained 6.1 g/L of Zn, 2.2 g/L of Fe, 2.5 g/L of Al, and 2.9 g/L of Ca. First, approximately 100% Fe was extracted as hematite nanoparticles containing 94.6 wt% Fe₂O₃ after the solution was treated at 190 °C for 6 h. Second, when the temperature was elevated to 270 °C, nearly 99% Al was isolated as boehmite particles containing 95.2 wt% Al₂O₃. Third, more than 98% Ca was removed as anhydrite, which contained 95.9 wt% CaSO₄, by adding sulfuric acid. During the steps, the total loss of Zn was less than 3%, and 5.75 g/L of residual Zn was recovered as zincite containing 92.2 wt% ZnO by adjusting the pH to 8. The dissolved Fe, Al, and Ca impurities were successfully removed as purified hematite, boehmite, and anhydrite, respectively, through the stepwise separation method by adjusting reaction temperatures and pH. The high content of Zn in the electroplating sludge was finally purified as zincite.

Industrial wastewater treatment: Current trends, bottlenecks, and best practices

Rapid urbanization and industrialization have inextricably linked to water consumption and wastewater generation. Mining resources from industrial wastewater has proved to be an excellent source of secondary raw materials i.e., proficient for providing economic and financial benefits, clean and sustainable resilient environment, and achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). Treatment of industrial wastewater for reusable resources has become a tedious task for decision-makers due to several bottlenecks and barriers, such as inefficient treatment options, high-cost expenditure, poor infrastructure, lack of financial support, and technical know-how. Most of the existing methods are conventional and fails to provide an economic benefit to the industries and have certain disadvantages. Also, the untreated industrial wastewater is discharged into the open drains, lakes, and rivers that lead to environmental pollution and severe health hazards. This paper has consolidated information about the current trends, opportunities, bottlenecks, and best practices associated with wastewater treatment and scope for the advancement in the existing technologies. Along with the efficient resource recovery, the wastewater could be ideally explored in the development of value-added materials, energy, and product recovery. The concepts, such as the circular economy (CE), partitions-release-recover (PRR), and transforming wastewater into bio factory are anticipated to be more convenient options to tackle the industrial wastewater menace.

Magnetically Modified Biosorbent for Rapid Beryllium Elimination from the Aqueous Environment

Although both beryllium and its compounds display high toxicity, little attention has been focused on the removal of beryllium from wastewaters. In this research, magnetically modified biochar obtained from poor-quality wheat with two distinct Fe_xO_y contents was studied as a sorbent for the elimination of beryllium from an aqueous solution. The determined elimination efficiency was higher than 80% in both prepared composites, and the presence of Fe_xO_y did not affect the sorption properties. The experimental q_max values were determined to be 1.44 mg/g for original biochar and biochar with lower content of iron and 1.45 mg/g for the biochar with higher iron content. The optimum pH values favorable for sorption were determined to be 6. After the sorption procedure, the sorbent was still magnetically active enough to be removed from the solution by a magnet. Using magnetically modified sorbents proved to be an easy to apply, low-cost, and effective technique.

Selective Complex Precipitation for Ferro-Chrome Separation From Electroplating Sludge Leaching Solution

In this paper, aiming at the problem of chrome-iron separation in electroplating sludge, the separation of ferrochrome by complexation and precipitation with benzoic acid as complexing agent is achieved. The optimal conditions consisted of a 1: 3 molar ratio of Fe³⁺: C₆H₅COOH, a reaction temperature of 30°C, a final pH of 2.5 and a reaction time of 2 min. The separation rate of the iron was 97.38% and the rate of loss of chromium was only 3.59%. The ferrochromium separation products were analyzed by XRD, fluorescence spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and H NMR Spectroscopy in order to study the mechanism of precipitation. The results showed that benzoic acid preferentially forms a complex with iron and iron benzoate precipitates with an increase pH. The iron benzoate crystals have a fine particle size, settle rapidly and are easy to filter. The separation of Cr ³⁺/Fe³⁺ was successful using our methodology.

New Polymer Inclusion Membrane in the Separation of Nonferrous Metal Ion from Aqueous Solutions

The new polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) with ethylenediamine-bis-acetylacetone (EDAB-acac) matrix was used for the separation of Zn(II) solutions containing non-ferrous metal ions (Co(II), Ni(II) Cu(II), Cd(II)). The effective conditions for carrying out transport studies by PIMs were determined on the basis of solvent extraction studies. The values of the stability constants and partition coefficients of M(II)-EDAB-acac complexes were determined from the extraction studies. The stability constants increase in series Ni(II) < Cu(II) < Co(II) < Cd(II) < Zn(II), and their logarithms are 8.85, 10.61, 12.73, 14.50, and 16.84, respectively. The transport selectivity of the PIMs were: Zn(II) > Cd(II) > Co(II) > Cu(II) > Ni(II). The established stability constants of the complexes also decrease in this order. The values of three parameters: initial flux, selectivity coefficient, and recovery factor of a given metal after 12 h were selected for the comparative analysis of the transport process. The highest values of the initial fluxes were received for Zn(II), Cd(II), and Co(II). They are, depending on the composition of the mixture, in the range 9.87–10.53 µmol/m², 5.26–5.61 µmol/m², and 7.43–7.84 µmol/m² for Zn(II), Co(II), and Cd(II), respectively. The highest recovery factors were observed for Zn(II) ions (90–98.0%). For Cd, Co and Cu, the recovery factors are high and are within the range 76–83%, 64–79%, and 51–66%, respectively.

Application of Hydrophobic Alkylimidazoles in the Separation of Non-Ferrous Metal Ions across Plasticised Membranes-A Review

Currently, a lot of attention is paid to polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs). Their particular advantages include effective support fixation, easy preparation, versatility, stability, good mechanical properties and good chemical resistance. The paper presents a review of the literature related to the applications of polymer inclusion membranes containing alkylimidazole derivatives as carriers in the processes of transporting ions of heavy and toxic metals, such as Zn(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Mn(II). It has been proven that alkylimidazoles exhibit varying complex-forming properties towards metal ions, and that their properties (hydrophobic and alkaline) can be modified easily by changing the size of the alkyl group and its position in the imidazole ring, which allows obtaining efficiently working metal ion carriers. The stability of an imidazole derivative-metal ion complex determines the speed and selectivity of the process of transporting metal ions across polymer inclusion membranes. Also, the morphological structure of polymer inclusion membranes impacts the efficiency of the process involving the release and separation of metal ions.

Catalytic Cracking of Heavy Crude Oil over Iron-Based Catalyst Obtained from Galvanic Industry Wastes

Sewage sludge from the galvanic industry represents a problem to the environment, due to its high metal content that makes it a hazardous waste and must be treated or disposed of properly. This study aimed to evaluate the sludge from three galvanic industries and determine its possible use as catalysts for the synthesis of materials. Catalyst was obtained from a thermal process based on dried between 100–120 °C and calcination of sludges between 400 to 700 °C. The physical–chemical properties of the catalyst were analyzed by several techniques as physisorption of N2 and chemisorption of CO of the material. Catalytic activity was analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis of a thermo-catalytic decomposition of crude oil. The best conditions for catalyst synthesis were calcination between 400 and 500 °C, the temperature of reduction between 750 and 850 °C for 15 min. The catalytic material had mainly Fe as active phase and the specific surface between 17.68–96.15 m2·g−1, the catalysts promote around 6% more weight-loss of crude oil in the thermal decomposition compared with assays without the catalyst. The results show that the residual sludge of galvanic industries after thermal treatment can be used as catalytic materials due to the easiness of synthesis procedures required, the low E-factor obtained and the recycling of industrial waste promoted.

Carbon material-immobilized ionic liquids were applied on absorption of Hg2+ from water phase

In this study, several immobilized ionic liquid adsorbents on carbon materials were synthesized with impregnation method. The carrier materials were activated carbon and three kinds of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. And the synthetic adsorbents immobilized different kinds of ionic liquids were characterized by Boehm titration, FT-IR, XPS, TG, and BET analysis, respectively. Finally, carbon materials after [C4mim]HSO₄ immobilization were selected as adsorbent to remove Hg²⁺ from water phase. The optimum conditions of adsorption test of ionic liquid immobilized by multi-walled carbon nanotubes were as follows: the initial concentration of Hg²⁺ was 400 mg/L, the adsorbent addition amount was 40 mg, the temperature was 20 °C, the reaction time was 200 min, the removal rate of Hg²⁺ peaked at 62.95%, the adsorption capacity was reached 79.00 mg/g. The optimum conditions of adsorption test of ionic liquid immobilized by activated carbon were as follows: the initial concentration of Hg²⁺ was 300 mg/L, the adsorbent addition amount was 0.2 g, the temperature was 20 °C, pH was 2.0, the reaction time was 100 min, the removal rate of Hg²⁺ was more than 99%, the adsorption capacity was 118.65 mg/g. The adsorption isotherm fitting study found that the adsorption of adsorbent on Hg²⁺ was more in line with the Langmuir model, and the adsorption kinetics study shows that the adsorption process is consistent with the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation. The results of kinetic analysis are further verified by thermodynamic analysis.

Intelligent-activated carbon prepared from pistachio shells precursor for effective adsorption of heavy metals from industrial waste of copper mine

A novel and efficient bio-adsorbent based on magnetic activated carbon nanocomposites (MAC NCs)-modified by sulfamic acid (H₃NSO₃) has been developed from pistachio shell precursor as agricultural by-products and then was applied for heavy metal removal. Design an experimental model (Central Composite Design (CCD)) for adopting surface response could efficiently be used for adsorption process, and it is an economical way of obtaining the optimal adsorption conditions based on the limited number of experiments. The variants of adsorbent dosage, metal ion concentration, and contact time were optimized for Cu(II) metal by CCD. In addition, adsorption capacity and isoelectric point (pHzpc) of adsorbent were studied at different pH values. Kinetic and isotherm of adsorption were investigated via the Langmuir and the pseudo-second-order model. The maximum adsorption capacity using the Langmuir model was 277.77 mg g^-1 for Cu(II) ions on H₂NSO₃-MAC NCs. Then adsorption process was investigated for ions of Fe(II), Zn(II), and Ni(II) under optimized condition. Also, the competitive adsorption of Fe(II), Zn(II), and Ni(II) ions mixed solution onto H₂NSO₃-MAC NCs was conducted. Adsorption-desorption results exhibited that the H₂NSO₃-MAC NCs can be used up to seven cycles while they have excellent performance. Finally, to evaluate the efficiency of this bio-adsorbent, the removal of heavy metals from wastewater of the Sarcheshmeh copper mine as a real sample was studied. Graphical abstract.

Sequential Recovery of Heavy and Noble Metals by Mussel-Inspired Polydopamine-Polyethyleneimine Conjugated Polyurethane Composite Bearing Dithiocarbamate Moieties

Dithiocarbamate-grafted polyurethane (PU) composites were synthesized by anchoring dithiocarbamate (DTC) as a chelating agent to the polyethyleneimine-polydopamine (PE-DA)-functionalized graphene-based PU matrix (PE-DA@GB@PU), as a new adsorbent material for the recovery of Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Cd²⁺ from industrial effluents. After leaching with acidic media to recover Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Cd²⁺, dithiocarbamate-grafted PE-DA@GB@PU (DTC-g-PE-DA@GB@PU) was decomposed and PE-DA@GP was regenerated. The latter was used to recover Pd²⁺, Pt⁴⁺, and Au³⁺ from the copper leaching residue and anode slime. The present DTC-g-PE-DA@GB@PU and PE-DA@GB@PU composites show high adsorption performance, effective separation, and quick adsorption of the target ions. The morphologies of the composites were studied by scanning electron microscopy and their structures were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The effects of pH values, contact time, and initial metal ion concentration conditions were also studied. An adsorption mechanism was proposed and discussed in terms of the FT-IR results.

Metallurgical Processing Strategies for Metals Recovery from Industrial Slags

Slag produced as a byproduct in industrial processes, contains considerable metals contents, which need to be recovered to avoid environmental contamination. In present review, the types, applications, recovery of metals from slag and their hazardous effects have been discussed. Gravimetric, magnetic, floatation, pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical treatments are discussed for processing of charge chrome, steel, copper smelter, brass smelter, tin, incineration, ferrochrome and silico-manganese slags for the extraction of various metal ions (Mg, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, As, Cr, Al, Nb, Ag, Au, Nb, Ta, Cu, Co, Ni, Fe, V, Cr). The possibility of biometallurgical processing of slags is also evaluated. Merits and demerits of extraction and purification techniques are highlighted with possible suggestions and possibility of integrated leaching techniques is also discussed.

High-Temperature Permittivity and Microwave Pretreatment Characteristics of Nickel-Containing Sludge from Battery Production

Permittivity is a vitally important parameter for the description of the absorption and heating characteristics of materials under microwave irradiation. In this paper, the permittivity of nickel-containing sludge (NCS), which is created during battery production as a cheap secondary resource, was measured at temperatures from 20 °C to 600 °C at 2.45 GHz using the cavity perturbation method. In addition, the loss tangent (tanδ) and penetration depth (Dp) of microwaves into the material were calculated. The results of the permittivity study show that the dielectric constant (ε′) and dielectric loss factor (ε″) of the NCS increase with increasing temperature. The variations of the loss tangent (tanδ) and penetration depth (Dp) with the temperature can be divided into two parts at 200 °C. The effect of the initial moisture content on the dielectric properties of the material is notably greater than that of the temperature, which was confirmed by the heating curve. After microwave pretreatment, the nickel-containing phase is transformed into NiO, while the weight of NCS is reduced by more than 20%, the particle size is significantly reduced and the leaching time reduce 20 min than that of conventional heating.

Sorption of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Pb(II) Ions in an Aqueous Solution on the PVC-Acetylacetone Composites

The possibility of removing Cu(II), Zn(II) and Pb(II) ions by sorption on new PVC-based composite materials with different contents of acetylacetone (acac) and porophor was investigated. Composites were characterized using a scanning electron microscope and by infrared spectral analysis (FTIR). Sorption tests were conducted at 20 °C. It has been shown that the equilibrium is established in about 4 h. The reduction in ion concentration in the solution depended on the content of both acac and porophor in the composite. The maximal reduction in ion concentration ranged from 8% to 91%, 10–85% and 6–50% for Cu(II), Zn(II) and Pb(II) ions, respectively, depending on the composite composition. The best results were obtained for the composite containing 30% w/w of acac and 10% of porophor. For this composite, the sorption capacity after 4 h sorption for Zn(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II) ions was 26.65, 25.40, and 49.68 mg/g, respectively. Kinetic data were best fitted with a pseudo–second-order equation.

Recovery of lanthanides from hydrocarbon cracking spent catalyst through chemical and biotechnological strategies

The aim of this work is to evaluate the rare earth elements (REEs) recovery from fluid catalytic cracking spent catalyst (FCC-SC) by chemical and biochemical strategies while also examining a route for the valorization of biodiesel-derived glycerin (RG), which is presently unprofitable to refine. Recovery tests for REEs were performed with no pretreatment of the FCC-SC. A chemical leaching investigation was carried out using HCl, HNO₃, NaOH, CaCl₂ and citric acid aqueous solutions (1 mol L^-1, at 30, 50, 60 or 70 ± 1 °C). The leaching tests carried out with 1 mol L^-1 citric acid at 50 °C provided the best recovery of La (27%). Subsequent bioleaching tests were carried out with four strains of Yarrowia lipolytica to evaluate their potential to produce organic acids using RG as the main carbon source. The FCC-SC contains some REEs, predominantly La. Remarkable biorecovery rates for REEs (namely, La (53%), Ce and Nd (both 99%)) were achieved using the Y. lipolytica IM-UFRJ 50678 fermented medium at 50 °C. Thus, here, a sustainable approach to recovering metals from spent cracking catalyst using RG under low-cost and non-energy-intensive processing conditions is reported.

Biotechnology in the management and resource recovery from metal bearing solid wastes: Recent advances

Solid metalliferous wastes (sludges, dusts, residues, slags, red mud and tailing wastes) originating from ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgical industries are a serious environmental threat, when waste management practices are not properly followed. Metalliferous wastes generated by metallurgical industries are promising resources for biotechnological extraction of metals. These wastes still contain significant amounts of valuable non-ferrous metals, sometimes precious metals and also rare earth elements. Elemental composition and mineralogy of the metallurgical wastes is dependent on the nature of mining site and composition of primary ores mined. Most of the metalliferous wastes are oxidized in nature and contain less/no reduced sulfidic minerals (which can be quite well processed by biohydrometallurgy). However, application of biohydrometallurgy is more challenging while extracting metals from metallurgical wastes that contain oxide minerals. In this review, origin, elemental composition and mineralogy of the metallurgical solid wastes are presented. Various bio-hydrometallurgical processes that can be considered for the extraction of non-ferrous metals from metal bearing solid wastes are reviewed.

Adsorption of Pb(2+) from aqueous solution using spinel ferrite prepared from steel pickling sludge

In this paper, spinel ferrite with high crystallinity and high saturation magnetization was successfully prepared from steel pickling sludge by adding iron source and precipitator in the hydrothermal condition. The obtained spinel ferrite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and Zeta potential methods and investigated as an adsorbent for removal of Pb(2+) from aqueous solution. Batch experiments were performed by varying the pH values, contact time, temperature and initial metal concentration. The result of pH impact showed that the adsorption of Pb(2+) was a pH dependent process, and the pH 5.8 ± 0.2 was found to be the optimum condition. The achieved experimental data were analyzed with various kinetic and isotherm models. The kinetic studies revealed that Pb(2+) adsorption onto spinel ferrite followed a pseudo-second order model, and the Langmuir isotherm model provided the perfect fit to the equilibrium experimental data. At different temperatures, the maximum Pb(2+) adsorption capacities calculated from the Langmuir equation were in the range of 126.5-175.4 mg/g, which can be in competition with other adsorbents. The thermodynamic results showed that the spinel ferrite could spontaneously and endothermically adsorb Pb(2+) from aqueous solution. The regeneration studies showed that spinel ferrite could be used five times (removal efficiency (%) >90%) by desorption with HNO3 reagent.

The comparison of the migration and transformation behavior of heavy metals during pyrolysis and liquefaction of municipal sewage sludge, paper mill sludge, and slaughterhouse sludge

Municipal sewage sludge, paper mill sludge, and slaughterhouse sludge were pyrolyzed and liquefied for the production of bio-char. The migration and transformation behavior of Cu, Cr, and Zn during pyrolysis and liquefaction of these sludges were studied. Pyrolysis and liquefaction promoted mobile fraction (F1 and F2) to stable fraction (F3 and F4). The results showed that pyrolysis and liquefaction largely affected the redistribution of Cu and Zn in raw materials. The environmental risk assessment results indicated that the environmental risk levels of Cu and Zn were significantly reduced in bio-char, and risk level of Cr was slightly decreased after pyrolysis or liquefaction. Both pyrolysis and liquefaction were promising detoxification technologies for the three sludges in terms of the mitigation of heavy metals toxicity. It was suggested that dewatered sludge could be reduced toxicity/risk before utilization by pyrolysis or liquefaction technology, especially for Cu and Zn in slaughterhouse sludge.

Solvent extraction separation of copper and zinc from MSWI fly ash leachates

Fly ash from combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) contains significant amounts of metals, some of which are valuable and some of which are potentially toxic. This type of ash is most often stabilized and landfilled which means that the metals will be difficult to reclaim at a later stage. In recent years efforts have been made to develop feasible methods to recover selected metals, such as Zn, from MSW fly ash. If this would be possible, a significant amount of valuable metals could be re-inserted in the industrial material loops. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a process for recovery of Cu and Zn from MSW combustion fly ash based on hydrochloric acid leaching followed by two solvent extraction processes, one for each metal. The separation of Cu from the acid leachate was done using an aldoxime extractant, LIX860N-I, in kerosene and a mixture of phosphine oxides, Cyanex 923, also in kerosene, was used for extraction of Zn from the Cu-depleted aqueous phase. The extraction of Cu was selective, but a significant amount of other metals, such as Fe and Pb, were co-extracted together with Zn. It was shown that it is possible to decrease the contamination of Fe by using a suitable concentration of nitric acid solution for stripping or by removing the contaminating metals through cementation. The suggested process was tested for two MSW combustion fly ashes in laboratory scale experiments and gave Cu yields of 69-87% and Zn yields of 75-80% based on the contents in the ash.

Galvanic manufacturing in the cities of Russia: potential source of ambient nanoparticles

Galvanic manufacturing is widely employed and can be found in nearly every average city in Russia. The release and accumulation of different metals (Me), depending on the technology used can be found in the vicinities of galvanic plants. Under the environmental protection act in Russia, the regulations for galvanic manufacturing do not include the regulations and safety standards for ambient ultrafine and nanosized particulate matter (PM). To assess whether Me nanoparticles (NP) are among environmental pollutants caused by galvanic manufacturing, the level of Me NP were tested in urban snow samples collected around galvanic enterprises in two cities. Employing transmission electronic microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and a laser diffraction particle size analyzer, we found that the size distribution of tested Me NP was within 10-120 nm range. This is the first study to report that Me NP of Fe, Cr, Pb, Al, Ni, Cu, and Zn were detected around galvanic shop settings.

Risk analysis of pyrolyzed biochar made from paper mill effluent treatment plant sludge for bioavailability and eco-toxicity of heavy metals

The risk analysis was performed to study the bioavailability and eco-toxicity of heavy metals in biochar obtained from pyrolysis of sludge of pulp and paper mill effluent treatment plant. The sludge was pyrolyzed at different temperatures (200-700°C) and the resultant biochar were analyzed for fractionation of heavy metals by sequential extraction procedure. It was observed that all the heavy metals get enriched in biochar matrix after pyrolysis, but the bioavailability and eco-toxicity of the heavy metals in biochar were significantly reduced as the mobile and bioavailable heavy metal fractions were transformed into the relatively stable fractions. Moreover, it was observed that the leaching potential of heavy metals decreased after pyrolysis and the best results were obtained for biochar pyrolyzed at 700°C.

DFT investigation of Ni(II) adsorption onto MA-DTPA/PVDF chelating membrane in the presence of coexistent cations and organic acids

Melamine-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid/polyvinylidene fluoride (MA-DTPA/PVDF) chelating membrane bearing polyaminecarboxylate groups was used to remove Ni(II) from nickel plating effluents. Adsorption experiments were conducted to study the adsorption of the membrane towards Ni(II) in Ni(II)-Ca(II), Ni(II)-NH(4)(+), Ni(II)-Fe(III) binary systems, and Ni(II)-lactic acid, Ni(II)-succinic acid and Ni(II)-citric acid complex systems. For the ternary nickel plating processes, the effects of 3d transition metals including Fe(II), Co(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) on Ni(II) adsorption were evaluated. The influences of the aforementioned coexistent cations and organic acids were elucidated by the continuum solvation model (COSMO)-corrected density functional theory (DFT) method. Geometries and complexation energies were analyzed for metal-MA-DTPA and Ni(II)-organic acid complexes. DFT results accord with the experimental data, indicating that DFT is helpful to evaluate the complexation between the membrane and metal cations. The coexistent Ca(II) tends to form more stable complex with MA-DTPA ligand than NH(4)(+) and Fe(III), and can interfere with the formation of Ni(II)-MA-DTPA complex. The complexing sequence of 3d metals with MA-DTPA ligand is Zn(II)<Co(II)<Ni(II)<Fe(II)<Cu(II). Therefore, both Fe(II) and Cu(II) have the considerable competition with Ni(II). The stabilities of Ni(II)-organic acid complexes follow the order of lactic acid<succinic acid<citric acid, but cannot be comparable to that of Ni(II)-MA-DTPA complex.