Production of H2S with a Novel Short-Process for the Removal of Heavy Metals in Acidic Effluents from Smelting Flue-Gas Scrubbing Systems

Interfacial water activation by Pd promotes SO2 electroreduction to H2S on CuPd bimetallic catalysts

The electrocatalytic reduction of sulfur dioxide (SO2) to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a promising strategy for efficient sulfur resource utilization. Copper (Cu) catalysts show high selectivity for SO2 reduction, but their limited hydrogenation capacity restricts H2S production. Palladium (Pd), known for its hydrogenation efficiency, was incorporated to overcome this limitation. We synthesized CuPd bimetallic catalysts to enhance hydrogenation efficiency in SO2 electroreduction. Among these, Cu67Pd33 exhibited superior catalytic performance, achieving a H2S partial current density of 201.56 mA·cm-2 (1.08 mmol·cm-2·h-1), a 120 % increase over Cu and 154 % over Pd. In-situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that Cu primarily catalyzes the reduction of *SOH to *S, while Pd facilitates the activation and dissociation of interfacial water to provide hydrogen and reduces the energy barrier for the conversion of *S to *H2S. The synergistic catalysis between Cu and Pd ensures efficient transformation of intermediates and facilitates the conversion of SO2 to H2S. This study highlights a novel strategy for enhancing hydrogenation in SO2 electroreduction and provides insights into the synergistic mechanisms of CuPd bimetallic catalysts, emphasizing the critical role of interfacial interactions in catalytic performance.

Biochemical mechanism underlying the synthesis of PbS nanoparticle and its in-situ photo effect on Shinella zoogloeoides PQ7

Metal sulfide nanoparticles (NPs) with semiconductor potentials are valuable bioremediation end-products that attract great research interests. However, biochemical mechanisms underlying their biosynthesis and photo-effects remain elusive. In this study, we found that biofilm lifestyle remarkably improved lead resistance and PbS-NP biosynthesis in Shinella zoogloeoides PQ7. Surprisingly, biosynthesis of PbS-NP required more than cysteine and H2S production. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis indicated that PQ7 responded to lead stress by changing metabolic activities in ABC transporters, oxidative phosphorylation, EPS production, quorum sensing, protein de novo synthesis, flagella assembly and antioxidative reactions, etc. The elevated EPS production and quorum sensing gene expression echoed the favorable roles of biofilm formation in lead resistance. Biosynthesis of PbS-NP required proper oxygen supply, and was impeded by adding kanamycin or using yeast extract as the sole nutrient supply. Investigations on NAD/NADH, ATP, ROS and GSH productions indicated that biosynthesis of PbS-NP was corelated with cellular respiration, energy metabolism, and redox status. Finally, we proved that PbS-NP had the dose-dependent in-situ photo effect on PQ7's growth and ROS production. This is the first report that pinpoints the role of cellular respiration in PbS-NP biosynthesis, which is essential for further mechanism study and the development of bioremediation techniques.

Application of dirty-acid wastewater treatment technology in non-ferrous metal smelting industry: Retrospect and prospect

Dirty-acid wastewater (DW) originating from the non-ferrous metal smelting industry is characterized by a high concentration of H2SO4 and As. During the chemical precipitation treatment, a significant volume of arsenic-containing slag is generated, leading to elevated treatment expenses. The imperative to address DW with methods that are cost-effective, highly efficient, and safe is underscored. This paper conducts a comprehensive analysis of three typical methods to DW treatment, encompassing technical principles, industrial application flow charts, research advancements, arsenic residual treatment, and economic considerations. Notably, the sulfide method emerges as a focal point due to its minimal production of arsenic residue and the associated lowest overall treatment costs. Moreover, in response to increasingly stringent environmental protection policies targeting new pollutants and carbon emissions reduction, the paper explores the evolving trends in DW treatment. These trends encompass rare metal and sulfuric acid recycling, cost-effective H2S production methods, and strategies for reducing, safely disposing of, and harnessing resources from arsenic residue.

Different roles of FeS and FeS2 on magnetic FeSx for the selective adsorption of Hg2+ from waste acids in smelters: Reaction mechanism, kinetics, and structure-activity relationship

Magnetic FeSx was developed as a high-performance sorbent for selectively adsorbing Hg2+ from waste acids in smelters. However, further improvement of its ability for Hg2+ adsorption was extremely restricted due to the lack of reaction mechanisms and structure-activity relationships. In this study, the roles of FeS and FeS2 on magnetic FeSx for Hg2+ adsorption were investigated with alternate adsorption of Hg2+ without/with Cl-. The structure-activity relationship of magnetic FeSx for Hg2+ adsorption and the negative effect of acid erosion were elucidated using kinetic analysis. FeS can react with Hg2+ with 1:1 stoichiometric ratio to form HgS, while FeS2 can react with Hg2+ in the presence of Cl- with novel 1:3 stoichiometric ratio to form Hg3S2Cl2. The rate of magnetic FeSx for Hg2+ adsorption was related to the instantaneous amounts of FeS and threefold FeS2 on magnetic FeSx and the amount of Hg2+ adsorbed. Meanwhile, its capacity for Hg2+ adsorption was related to the initial sum of FeS amount and threefold FeS2 amount on the surface and their ratios by acid erosion. Then, magnetic FeSx-400 was devised with adsorption rate of 2.12 mg g-1 min-1 and capacity of 1092 mg g-1 to recover Hg2+ from waste acids for centralized control.

Mechanism Study of Organic Sulfur Hydrogenation over Pt- and Pd-Loaded Alumina-Based Catalysts

The hydrogenation of organic sulfur (CS2) present in industrial off-gases to produce sulfur-free hydrocarbons and H2S can be achieved by using noble-metal catalysts. However, there has been a lack of comprehensive investigation into the underlying reaction mechanisms associated with this process. In this study, we have conducted an in-depth examination of the activity and selectivity of Pt- and Pd-loaded alumina-based catalysts, revealing significant disparities between them. Notably, Pd/Al2O3 catalysts exhibit an enhanced performance at low temperatures. Furthermore, we have observed that CS2 displays a higher propensity for conversion to methane when employing Pt/Al2O3 catalysts, while Pd/Al2O3 catalysts demonstrate a greater tendency for coke deposition. By combining experimental observations with theoretical calculations, we revealed that the capability of H2 spillover along with the adsorption capacity of CS2, play pivotal roles in determining the observed differences. Moreover, the key intermediate species involved in the methanation and coke pathways were identified. The intermediate CH2S* is found to be crucial in the methanation pathway, while the intermediate CSH* is identified as significant in the coke pathway.

H2S release rate strongly affects particle size and settling performance of metal sulfides in acidic wastewater: The role of homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation

Sulfide precipitation is an extensively used method to precipitate metal and arsenic from acidic wastewater, whereas the tiny and negatively-charged metal sulfides with poor settling performance are generated. The factors and mechanisms that influence particle size and settling performance remain unclear. Herein, the effects of sulfuration factors, e.g., reagent dosage, acidity and H₂S release rate on the particle size and settling performance of metal sulfides were investigated, and involved mechanisms were systematically revealed. The results showed that the reagent dosage and acidity had a limited effect on particle size and settling performance while the H₂S release rate played a critical role. Under homogeneous conditions, the decrease in H₂S release rate, which can reduce the initial supersaturation and supply the sustainable supersaturation, increased the particle size of metal sulfides generated using Na₂S solution. Under heterogeneous conditions, the decrease in H₂S release rate further increased the particle size of metal sulfides generated using low-solubility CaS/FeS and further improved settling performance, in which heterogeneous nucleation played a crucial role besides supersaturation. The developed dissolution-diffusion-growth model qualitatively explained the negative relationship between H₂S release rate and particle growth. This work provides implications for improving the settling performance of metal sulfides in acidic wastewater.

Selective removal of Hg2+ from acidic wastewaters using sulfureted Fe2TiO5: Underlying mechanism and its application as a regenerable sorbent for recovering Hg from waste acids of smelters

The selective removal of Hg²⁺ from waste acids containing high concentrations of other metal cations, such as Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Cd²⁺, which are discharged from nonferrous metal smelting industries, is in great demand. Herein, sulfureted Fe₂TiO₅ was developed as a regenerable magnetic sorbent to recover Hg²⁺ from waste acids for centralized control. Sulfureted Fe₂TiO₅ exhibited an excellent ability for Hg²⁺ removal with the capacity of 292-317 mg g^-1 and the rate of 49.5-57.6 mg g^-1 h^-1 at pH=2-4. Meanwhile, it exhibited an excellent selectivity for Hg²⁺ removal that not only the coexisting Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Cd²⁺ can scarcely be adsorbed but also Hg²⁺ adsorption was hardly inhibited. The mechanism and kinetic studies indicated that the Fe²⁺ in the FeS₂ coated on sulfureted Fe₂TiO₅ was exchanged with Hg²⁺ adsorbed at a Fe²⁺ to Hg²⁺ mole ratio of 1:2. Meanwhile, most of the Hg²⁺ removed by sulfureted Fe₂TiO₅ can be thermally desorbed primarily as ultra-high concentrations of gaseous Hg⁰, which can finally be recovered as liquid Hg⁰ for centralized control in combination with existing Hg⁰-recovery devices in smelters. Moreover, the spent sulfureted Fe₂TiO₅ could be regenerated for duty-cycle operations with re-sulfuration without a remarkable degradation of the Hg²⁺-removal performance. Therefore, Hg²⁺ recovery using sulfureted Fe₂TiO₅ may be a promising, low-cost, and environmentally friendly technology for the centralized control of Hg²⁺ in waste acids discharged from smelters.