The Open Waste Management Journal

2017, 10 : 41-50
Published online 2017 November 30. DOI: 10.2174/1876400201710010041
Publisher ID: TOWMJ-10-41

RESEARCH ARTICLE
Alkalic Leaching and Stabilization of Arsenic from Pyrite Cinders

Yongliang Wang1 , Li Xiao1,2 , Ya Liu1,2 , Guoyan Fu1,2 , Shufeng Ye1, * and Yunfa Chen1

* Address correspondence to this author at the Key Lab. Multi-phase Complex System, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; Tel: 010-82544923; E-mail: sfye@ipe.ac.cn

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

Pyrite cinder is one of the important secondary resources, but typically contains a certain amount of arsenic, which is harmful to metallurgical process. It usually hopes to remove the arsenic prior to recycle the valuable element in the pyrite cinders.

Methods & Materials:

In this study, the arsenic in the cinders was selectively removed using the alkalic leaching method so as to reduce the loss of ferric and other valuable elements.

Results & Discussion:

The content of arsenic in pyrite cinders was reduced to 0.08% through the investigation of the factors, including particle size, alkaline concentration, temperature, solid-liquid ratio (S/L) and leaching time. Then, the ferric precipitation method was used to remove the arsenic in the leaching solution. More than 99% of the arsenic can be removed by controlling the pH and the ratio of ferric and arsenic (Fe/As) in ambient temperature, and the arsenic concentration in the solution was reduced to less than 0.5mg/L.

Conclusion:

It was found that the precipitated arsenic was mainly amorphous based on the analysis of sediment.

Keywords:

Arsenic, Pyrite cinders, Alkaline leaching, Precipitation, Ferric sulfate, Solid-Liquid Ratio.