Arsenic Removal from Spent Liquor Generated during Processing of Vanadium Sludge

Abstract:

During production of ammonium meta-vanadate from vanadium sludge an arsenic containing (~2.2g/L) spent liquor is generated. Safe disposal of such liquor without arsenic contamination to the environment is essential. Therefore, various methods such as ion-exchange, adsorption, solvent extraction and precipitation were applied for recovery of arsenic from the spent liquor. Based on the Eh-pH diagram of As-H₂O, the arsenic based species were delineated. For ion exchange Lewatit FO 36 and Amberlite IRA 400 Cl^- resins were used to extract arsenic from the spent liquor. With Lewatit FO 36 a maximum of 20% arsenic was recovered at A/R ratio of 50. Amberlite IRA 400 Cl^- on the other hand didnt extract arsenic at all. A two stage solvent extraction process using TBP as an extractant, with a recovery of 97% arsenic from the spent liquor was developed. From the loaded TBP almost complete stripping of arsenic was obtained with 0.1-0.5M NaOH solution. Precipitation of arsenic from the spent liquor as copper arsenate or iron arsenate was also examined. During the fixation of arsenic with iron, 70% arsenic was recovered in the precipitate. This process needs to be evaluated further with the aim of using the iron hydroxide containing arsenic for different applications.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volume 828)
• Pages: 55-63
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.828.55
• Online since: November 2013
• Authors: Swati Pramanik, Sushanta K. Sahu*, Pratima Meshram, Banshi Dhar Pandey
• Keywords: Arsenic, Ion Exchange, Precipitation, Recovery, Solvent Extraction, Vanadium Sludge

References

[1] F. Habashi, Pollution problems in the metallurgical industry: A review, J. Min. Env. 2 (2011) 17-26

[2] Željko Kamberović1, Marija Korać2, Zoran Anđić3, Marija Štulović2, Tihomir Kovačević2, Aleksandar Vujović3, Ilija Ilić, Conceptual design for treatment of mining and metallurgical wastewaters which contains arsenic and antimony, Metall. Mater. Eng. 18 (2012) 321-331.

[3] M. Leist, R.J. Casey, D. Caridi, The management of arsenic wastes: problems and prospects, J. Hazard. Mat. B76, (2000) 125-138.

DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3894(00)00188-6

[4] Y.F. Jia, G.P. Demopolous, N. Chen, J.N. Cutler, D.T. Jiang, in Hydrometallurgy 2003, C.A. Young, A.M. Alfantazi, C.G. Anderson, D.B. Dresinger, B. Haris, A. James (Eds.), TMS, Warrendale, PA, 2003, pp.1923-1935.

[5] P.A. Riveros, J.E. Dutrizac, P. Spencer, Arsenic disposal practices in the metallurgical industry, Can. Metall. Q. 40, (2001) 395-420.

DOI: 10.1179/cmq.2001.40.4.395

[6] H. Yamauchi, B.A. Fowler, in: J.O. Nriagu (Ed), Advances in Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 27 Wiley, New York, 1997, pp.34-48.

[7] S.M. Naqvi, C. Vaishnavi, H. Singh, in Nriagu (Ed), Advances in Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 27 Wiley, New York, 1997, pp.556-604.

[8] D. Filippou, G.P. Demopoulos, Arsenic Immobilization by Controlled Scorodite Precipitation, J. Metals December 1997, 52-55.

DOI: 10.1007/s11837-997-0034-3

[9] D. Langmuir, J. Mahoney, J. Rowson, Solubility products of amorphous ferric arsenate and crystalline scorodite (FeAsO4 . 2H2O) and their application to arsenic behavior in buried mine tailingsJ. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 70 (2006) 2942–2956.

DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2006.03.006