Leaching of rare earth elements and base metals from spent NiMH batteries using gluconate and its potential bio-oxidation products

Gluconate is known to mediate metal leaching. However, during bioleaching by e.g., Gluconobacter oxydans, gluconate can be oxidized to 2-ketogluconate and 5-ketogluconate. The impact of bio-oxidation of gluconate on metal leaching has not been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate leaching of rare earth elements (REEs) and base metals from spent nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries using gluconate, 2-ketogluconate and 5-ketogluconate. Batch leaching assays were conducted under controlled and uncontrolled pH conditions for 14 days using 60 mM of either the individual leaching agents or their various combinations. At target pH of 6.0 ± 0.1 and 9.0 ± 0.1 and without pH control, complexolysis was the dominating leaching mechanism and higher REE leaching efficiency was obtained with gluconate, while 5-ketogluconate enabled more efficient base metal leaching. At target pH of 3.0 ± 0.1, acidolysis dominated, and the base metal and REE leaching yields with all the tested leaching agents were higher than under the other studied pH conditions. The highest base metal and REE leaching yields (%) were obtained using gluconate at target pH of 3.0 ± 0.1 being 100.0 Mn, 90.3 Fe, 89.5 Co, 58.5 Ni, 24.0 Cu, 29.3 Zn and 56.1 total REEs. The obtained results are useful in optimization of heterotrophic bioleaching.

Recovery of gallium from wafer fabrication industry wastewaters by Desferrioxamine B and E using reversed-phase chromatography approach

Gallium (Ga) is a critical element in developing renewable energy generation and energy efficient systems. The supply of Ga is at risk and needed recycling technologies for its availability in future. This study demonstrated the recovery of Ga³⁺ from low gallium concentrated wafer fabrication industry wastewaters using the siderophores desferrioxamine B (DFOB) and desferrioxamine E (DFOE). The complexation of Ga³⁺ by DFOB and DFOE was through hydroxamate group as demonstrated by infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance and density functional theory calculations. The high selectivity of DFOB/E towards Ga³⁺ was observed due to the formation of highly stable complex. Indeed, due to the formation of such high stability complex, the DFOB and DFOE were able to successfully complex 100% Ga in the two different process water from wafer fabrication industry. For the recovery of the siderophores, a high rate of decomplexation of Ga (>90%) was achieved upon addition of 6 times excess of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) at pH of 3.5. More than 95% of Ga-DFOB and Ga-DFOE complex were recovered with purity (% of Ga moles in comparison to total moles of metals) of 69.8 and 92.9%, respectively by application of a C18 reversed-phase chromatography column. This study, for the first time, demonstrated a technical solution to the recovery of Ga³⁺ from the low concentrated wastewater based on siderophores and reversed-phase chromatography. A German patent application had been filed for this technology.

Screening and selection of technologically applicable microorganisms for recovery of rare earth elements from fluorescent powder

Rare Earth Elements (REE) are essential elements in many new technology products. Up to now, recycling is poorly established and no environmentally friendly strategies are applied. Modern biotechnologies like bioleaching can contribute to overcome the current limitations. In this study, we investigated bioleaching approaches exemplary for fluorescent phosphor (FP), which is accumulated during the recycling of fluorescent tubes and energy saving bulbs. A broad spectrum of different microorganisms were tested regarding their potential to leach REE from FP. Among them were classical acidophilic microorganisms, as well as various heterotrophic ones, producing organic acids or metal complexing metabolites, or having a high metal tolerance. Larger amounts of REE were leached with the strains Komagataeibacter xylinus, Lactobacillus casei, and Yarrowia lipolytica. Besides the COOH-functionality, also other biotic processes contribute to metal leaching, as comparison with indirect leaching approaches showed. Among the different REE components of the FP preferably the oxidic red dye yttrium europium oxide (YOE) that contain the critical REE yttrium and europium was leached. The results provide the basis for the development of an environmentally friendly recycling process for REE from waste materials.

Uranium(VI) Complexes with a Calix[4]arene-Based 8-Hydroxyquinoline Ligand: Thermodynamic and Structural Characterization Based on Calorimetry, Spectroscopy, and Liquid-Liquid Extraction

The environmental aspects of ore processing and waste treatment call for an optimization of applied technologies. There, understanding of the structure and complexation mechanism on a molecular scale is indispensable. Here, the complexation of UVI with a calix[4]arene-based 8-hydroxyquinoline ligand was investigated by applying a wide range of complementary methods. In solution, the formation of two complex species was proven with stability constants of log ß1:1=5.94±0.02 and log ß2:1=6.33±0.01, respectively. The formation of the 1:1 complex was found to be enthalpy driven [ΔH1:1=(-71.5±10.0) kJ mol-1; TΔS1:1=(-37.57±10.0) kJ mol-1], whereas the second complexation step was found to be endothermic and entropy driven [ΔH2:1=(32.8±4.0) kJ mol-1; TΔS2:1=(68.97±4.0) kJ mol-1]. Moreover, the molecular structure of [UO2(H6L)(NO3)](NO3) (1) was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Concluding, radiotoxic UVI was separated from a EuIII-containing solution by the calix[4]arene-based ligand in solvent extractions.

Glutamic acid leaching of synthetic covellite - A model system combining experimental data and geochemical modeling

For Kupferschiefer mining established pyrometallurgical and acidic bioleaching methods face numerous problems. This is due to the finely grained and dispersed distribution of the copper minerals, the complex mineralogy, comparably low copper content, and the possibly high carbonate and organic content in this ore. Leaching at neutral pH seemed worth a try: At neutral pH the abundant carbonates do not need to be dissolved and therewith would not consume excessive amounts of provided acids. Certainly, copper solubility at neutral pH is reduced compared to an acidic environment; however, if copper complexing ligands would be supplied abundantly, copper contents in the mobile phase could easily reach the required economic level. We set up a model system to study the effect of parameters such as pH, microorganisms, microbial metabolites, and organic ligands on covellite leaching to get a better understanding of the processes in copper leaching at pH ≥ 6. With this model system we could show that glutamic acid and the microbial siderophore desferrioxamine B promote covellite dissolution. Both experimental and modeling data showed that pH is an important parameter in covellite dissolution. An increase of pH from 6 to 9 could elevate copper extraction in the presence of glutamic acid by a factor of five. These results have implications for both development of a biotechnological process regarding metal extraction from Kupferschiefer, and for the interaction of bacterial metabolites with the lithosphere and potential mobilization of heavy metals in alkaline environments.

Effect of glutamic acid on copper sorption onto kaolinite - Batch experiments and surface complexation modeling

High carbonate content of the European Kupferschiefer ore deposits is a challenge for acid copper leaching (pH ≤ 2). Therefore investigating the mobility behavior of Cu(II) under conditions related to an alternative, neutrophil biohydrometallurgical Cu(II) leaching approach is of interest. As glutamic acid (Glu) might be present as a component in the growth media, we studied its effects on the adsorption of Cu(II) onto kaolinite. The binary and ternary batch sorption measurements of Cu(II) and Glu onto kaolinite were performed in the presence of 10 mM NaClO₄ as background electrolyte and at a pH range from 4 to 9. Sorption experiments were modeled by the charge-distribution multi-site ion complexation (CD-MUSIC) model by using single sorption site (≡SOH) and monodentate surface complexation reactions. Glu sorption on kaolinite is weak (<10%) and independent of pH. Furthermore, Glu slightly enhances the Cu(II) sorption at low pH but strongly hinders (up to 50%) the sorption at higher pH and therewith enhances copper mobility. The results of isotherms show that Cu(II)-Glu sorption onto kaolinite mimics the Freundlich model. The proposed CD-MUSIC model provides a close fit to the experimental data and predicts the sorption of Cu(II), Cu(II)-Glu and Glu onto kaolinite as well as the effect of Glu on Cu(II) mobility.

Manipulation of pyrite colonization and leaching by iron-oxidizing Acidithiobacillus species

In this study, the process of pyrite colonization and leaching by three iron-oxidizing Acidithiobacillus species was investigated by fluorescence microscopy, bacterial attachment, and leaching assays. Within the first 4-5 days, only the biofilm subpopulation was responsible for pyrite dissolution. Pyrite-grown cells, in contrast to iron-grown cells, were able to oxidize iron(II) ions or pyrite after 24 h iron starvation and incubation with 1 mM H₂O₂, indicating that these cells were adapted to the presence of enhanced levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are generated on metal sulfide surfaces. Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans SS3 and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans R1 showed enhanced pyrite colonization and biofilm formation compared to A. ferrooxidans (T). A broad range of factors influencing the biofilm formation on pyrite were also identified, some of them were strain-specific. Cultivation at non-optimum growth temperatures or increased ionic strength led to a decreased colonization of pyrite. The presence of iron(III) ions increased pyrite colonization, especially when pyrite-grown cells were used, while the addition of 20 mM copper(II) ions resulted in reduced biofilm formation on pyrite. This observation correlated with a different extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) composition of copper-exposed cells. Interestingly, the addition of 1 mM sodium glucuronate in combination with iron(III) ions led to a 5-fold and 7-fold increased cell attachment after 1 and 8 days of incubation, respectively, in A. ferrooxidans (T). In addition, sodium glucuronate addition enhanced pyrite dissolution by 25%.