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Li X, Qiao W, Chen D, Wu P, Xie Y, Chen X. Anomalous concentrations of rare earth elements in acid mine drainage and implications for rare earth resources from late Permian coal seams in northern Guizhou. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 879:163051. [PMID: 36966834 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Rare earth elements (REEs) have attracted much attention in recent decades due to their growing applications in high-tech industries. Coal and acid mine drainage (AMD) are considered promising alternative sources due to their high concentrations of REEs. Here, AMD with anomalous REEs concentrations was reported in a coal-mine area in northern Guizhou, China. The AMD had a total concentration as high as 22.3 mg/l, suggesting that regional coal seams may be enriched with REEs. Five segments from borehole samples, which contained coal, rocks from the roof and floor of the coal seam were collected from the coal mine site to investigate the abundance, enrichment, and occurrence of REE-bearing minerals. Elemental analysis showed that the REE contents in the coal, mudstone and limestone from the coal seam roof, and claystone from the floor (all dating to the late Permian) varied greatly, with averages of 388, 549, 60.1 mg/kg and 2030 mg/kg, respectively. Encouragingly, the REEs content in the claystone is over an order of magnitude higher than the average content reported in most other coal-based materials. The enrichment of REEs resources in regional coal seams is particularly associated with the contribution of REEs in the claystone that comprises the coal seam floor, rather than just the coal, as considered in previous studies. The minerals in these claystone samples were dominated by kaolinite, pyrite, quartz and anatase. Two types of REE-bearing minerals, bastnaesite and monazite, were detected in the claystone samples by SEM-EDS analysis, and they were found to be adsorbed by a large amount of clay minerals, mainly kaolinite. Additionally, the results of chemical sequential extraction also confirmed that the majority of the REEs in the claystone samples are mainly in their ion-exchangeable, metal oxide and acid-soluble forms, which are viable prospects for REE extraction. Therefore, the anomalous concentrations of REEs and most of them are in extractable phases, which demonstrates that the claystone from the floor of the late Permian coal seam should be a potential secondary source of REEs. Future studies will further consider the extraction model and the economic benefits of REEs from the floor claystone samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuexian Li
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Wenlang Qiao
- 102 Geological Brigade of Guizhou Bureau of Geology and Mineral, Zunyi 563003, China
| | - Deng Chen
- 102 Geological Brigade of Guizhou Bureau of Geology and Mineral, Zunyi 563003, China
| | - Pan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Yixi Xie
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Xue Chen
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
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Liu P, Zhao S, Xie N, Yang L, Wang Q, Wen Y, Chen H, Tang Y. Green Approach for Rare Earth Element (REE) Recovery from Coal Fly Ash. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:5414-5423. [PMID: 36942728 PMCID: PMC10077585 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c09273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Due to the growing demands of rare earth elements (REEs) and the vulnerability of REEs to potential supply disruption, there have been increasing interests in recovering REEs from waste streams such as coal fly ash (CFA). Meanwhile, CFA as a large industrial waste stream in the United States (U.S.) poses significant environmental and economic burdens. Recovery of REEs from CFA is a promising solution to the REE scarcity issue and also brings opportunities for CFA management. This study demonstrates a green system for REE recovery from Class F and C CFA that consists of three modules: REE leaching using citrate, REE separation and concentration using oxalate, and zeolite synthesis using secondary wastes from Modules I and II. In Module I, ∼10 and 60% REEs were leached from the Class F and C CFA samples, respectively, using citrate at pH 4. In Module II, the addition of oxalate selectively precipitated and concentrated REEs from the leachate via the formation of weddellite (CaC2O4·2H2O), while other trace metals remained in solution. In Module III, zeolite was synthesized using wastes from Modules I and II. This study is characterized by the successful recovery of REEs and upcycling of secondary wastes, which addresses both REE recovery and CFA management challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Liu
- School
of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia
Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Dr, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Simin Zhao
- School
of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia
Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Dr, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Nan Xie
- School
of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia
Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Dr, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Lufeng Yang
- Woodruff
School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia
Institute of Technology, 771 Ferst Dr, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Qian Wang
- School
of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia
Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Dr, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Yinghao Wen
- School
of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia
Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Dr, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Hailong Chen
- Woodruff
School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia
Institute of Technology, 771 Ferst Dr, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Yuanzhi Tang
- School
of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia
Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Dr, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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Pan J, Long X, Zhang L, Shoppert A, Valeev D, Zhou C, Liu X. The Discrepancy between Coal Ash from Muffle, Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB), and Pulverized Coal (PC) Furnaces, with a Focus on the Recovery of Iron and Rare Earth Elements. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 15:8494. [PMID: 36499989 PMCID: PMC9738165 DOI: 10.3390/ma15238494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Coal ash (CA) is not only one of the most solid wastes from combustion, easily resulting in a series of concerns, but it is also an artificial deposit with considerable metals, such as iron and rare earth. The variation in the coal ash characteristics due to the origins, combustion process, and even storage environment has been hindering the metal utilization from coal ash. In this study, three ash sample from lab muffle, circulating fluidized bed (CFB), and pulverized coal (PC) furnace was derived for the discrepancy study from the combustion furnace, including properties, iron, and rare earth recovery. The origins of the coal feed samples have more of an effect on their properties than combustion furnaces. Magnetic separation is suitable for coal ash from PC because of the magnetite product, and the iron content is 58% in the Mag-1 fraction, with a yield of 3%. The particles in CA from CFB appear irregular and fragmental, while those from PC appear spherical with a smooth surface. The results of sequential chemical extraction and observation both indicated that the aluminosilicate phase plays an essential role in rare earth occurrences. Rare earth in CA from muffling and CFB is facilely leached, with a recovery of approximately 50%, which is higher than that from PC ash. This paper aims to offer a reference to easily understand the difference in metal recovery from coal ash.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhe Pan
- Key Laboratory of Coal Processing & Efficient Utilization, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Xin Long
- Key Laboratory of Coal Processing & Efficient Utilization, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Coal Processing & Efficient Utilization, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Andrei Shoppert
- Laboratory of Advanced Technologies in Non-Ferrous and Ferrous Metals Raw Materials Processing, Ural Federal University, 620002 Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Dmitry Valeev
- Laboratory of Sorption Methods, Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, The Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Changchun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Coal Processing & Efficient Utilization, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- Shenhua Zhungeer Energy and Resource Comprehensive Development Co., Ltd., Erdos 010300, China
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Ji B, Zhang W. Adsorption of cerium (III) by zeolites synthesized from kaolinite after rare earth elements (REEs) recovery. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 303:134941. [PMID: 35569630 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
REE recovery tests were performed on a kaolinite and the corresponding metakaolinite using pH static leaching method. Test results show that over 90% of REEs were leached from the metakaolinite sample at pH 0.00 and 25 °C, while less than 2% of the major constituents were simultaneously extracted. Therefore, selective leaching of REEs from the metakaolinite was achieved through pH static leaching. The leaching residue was then subjected to alkaline activation for zeolites synthesis. The effects of hydrothermal temperature and incubation period under various alkaline conditions on the synthesis of zeolites were systematically investigated. The phase compositions, textual properties, and morphology of the synthesized products were characterized. Pure zeolite A with 100% relative crystallinity was successfully synthesized at 80 °C for 6 h when using 3 M NaOH as the alkaline activator. While as the synthesis conditions became increasingly harsh, the metastable zeolite A gradually transformed into more stable sodalite, and three types of zeolites, including zeolite A, sodalite, and their mixtures, were obtained. After that, various types of zeolites were applied for Ce3+ adsorption from aqueous solutions. High purity sodalite showed a higher adsorption capacity of 53 mg/g at pH 6.0 and 25 °C as a result of the superior textual properties compared with zeolite A. The adsorption data were suitably fitted by the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order models. Findings from this study suggest that the kaolinite is a potential source for REE recovery, and the leaching residue is suitable for the synthesis of zeolites, which can be used as promising adsorbents for Ce3+ recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Ji
- Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Wencai Zhang
- Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
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Javadian H, Taghavi M, Ruiz M, Tyagi I, Farsadrooh M, Sastre AM. Adsorption of neodymium, terbium and dysprosium using a synthetic polymer-based magnetic adsorbent. J RARE EARTH 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jre.2022.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Zhang R, Zhang C, Cao Y. Effective extraction of rare earth elements from coal slurry. SEP SCI TECHNOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/01496395.2022.2102999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Chunming Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Yan Cao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
- Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wushan, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
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Yang B, Cheng C, Li Y, Cheng W, Zang J, Lai X, Wang X. Modes of occurrence and pre-concentration of rare earth elements in No.17 coal in Liupanshui coalfield, China. J RARE EARTH 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jre.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Conditions Affecting the Release of Heavy and Rare Earth Metals from the Mine Tailings Kola Subarctic. TOXICS 2021; 9:toxics9070163. [PMID: 34357906 PMCID: PMC8309732 DOI: 10.3390/toxics9070163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In the Kola Subarctic, a mining industry has developed, which is a source of environmental pollution with heavy metals. The objects of study were the tailings of three large mining enterprises in the region: apatite-nepheline, complex and loparite ores. The geotechnical characteristics were studied, and the granulometric composition of the samples was established. The main minerals that make up the material of ore dressing tailings have been determined. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the content of trace elements, in particular heavy metals and rare earth elements, has been established. The enrichment factor, the geoaccumulation indexes, the potential ecological risk index factor and the potential environmental hazard index have been calculated. Priority pollutants characteristics for specific objects have been identified. It is noted that the finely dispersed material of the tailings of loparite and complex ores is 1.5–3 times enriched in heavy and rare earth metals in comparison with the total material of the tailings. In laboratory conditions, experiments were carried out to simulate the process of interaction of dust particles with soil solutions containing different amounts of dissolved organic matter and at average seasonal temperatures. It was found that a decrease in the pH of the solution and an increase in the amount of organic carbon and temperature lead to the mobilization of heavy and rare earth metals from the tailings.
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