1
|
Vallès V, de Labastida MF, López J, Cortina JL. Selective recovery of boron, cobalt, gallium and germanium from seawater solar saltworks brines using N-methylglucamine sorbents: Column operation performance. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 923:171438. [PMID: 38438050 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
The European Union (EU) identified a list of Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) crucial for its economy, aiming to find alternative sources. Seawater is a promising option as it contains almost all elements, although most at low concentrations. However, to the present, the CRMs' recovery from seawater is technically and economically unfeasible. Other alternatives to implement sea mining might be preferred, such as reverse osmosis brines or saltworks bitterns (after sodium chloride crystallisation). The CRMs' extraction in a selective way can be achieved using highly selective recovery processes, such as chelating sorbents. This study focuses on extracting Trace Elements (TEs) from solar saltworks brines, including boron, cobalt, gallium and germanium, using commercial N-methylglucamine sorbents (S108, CRB03, CRB05). The application of these sorbents has shown potential for boron recovery, but their selectivity for cobalt, gallium, and germanium requires further investigation. This research aims to assess these sorbents' kinetics and column mode performance for TEs recovery from synthetic bitterns. Boron and germanium were rapidly sorbed, reaching equilibrium (>90 %) within 1 h, except for S108, which took 2 h. In column mode, 20-25 pore volumes of bittern were treated to remove boron and germanium, but competition from other elements reduced treatment capacity. An acidic elution (1 M hydrochloric acid) allowed to elute them (>90 %), reaching concentration factors for germanium and boron of 35 and 11, respectively, while cobalt and gallium had less affinity for the sorbents. In addition, the experiments performed were fitted by a mass transfer model to determine the equilibrium constants and selectivities. Therefore, bittern mining has been proven as a secondary/alternative source to obtain CRMs, which can lead the EU to a position in which its dependence on other countries to obtain these raw materials would be decreased.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- V Vallès
- Chemical Engineering Department, Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)-BarcelonaTECH, C/Eduard Maristany 16, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08019 Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Center for Multiscale Science and Engineering, C/Eduard Maristany 16, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08019 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - M Fernández de Labastida
- Chemical Engineering Department, Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)-BarcelonaTECH, C/Eduard Maristany 16, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08019 Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Center for Multiscale Science and Engineering, C/Eduard Maristany 16, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08019 Barcelona, Spain
| | - J López
- Chemical Engineering Department, Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)-BarcelonaTECH, C/Eduard Maristany 16, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08019 Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Center for Multiscale Science and Engineering, C/Eduard Maristany 16, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08019 Barcelona, Spain
| | - J L Cortina
- Chemical Engineering Department, Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)-BarcelonaTECH, C/Eduard Maristany 16, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08019 Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Center for Multiscale Science and Engineering, C/Eduard Maristany 16, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08019 Barcelona, Spain; CETaqua, Carretera d'Esplugues, 75, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Paper M, Jung P, Koch M, Lakatos M, Nilges T, Brück TB. Stripped: contribution of cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances to the adsorption of rare earth elements from aqueous solutions. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1299349. [PMID: 38173874 PMCID: PMC10762542 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1299349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The transformation of modern industries towards enhanced sustainability is facilitated by green technologies that rely extensively on rare earth elements (REEs) such as cerium (Ce), neodymium (Nd), terbium (Tb), and lanthanum (La). The occurrence of productive mining sites, e.g., is limited, and production is often costly and environmentally harmful. As a consequence of increased utilization, REEs enter our ecosystem as industrial process water or wastewater and become highly diluted. Once diluted, they can hardly be recovered by conventional techniques, but using cyanobacterial biomass in a biosorption-based process is a promising eco-friendly approach. Cyanobacteria can produce extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that show high affinity to metal cations. However, the adsorption of REEs by EPS has not been part of extensive research. Thus, we evaluated the role of EPS in the biosorption of Ce, Nd, Tb, and La for three terrestrial, heterocystous cyanobacterial strains. We cultivated them under N-limited and non-limited conditions and extracted their EPS for compositional analyses. Subsequently, we investigated the metal uptake of a) the extracted EPS, b) the biomass extracted from EPS, and c) the intact biomass with EPS by comparing the amount of sorbed REEs. Maximum adsorption capacities for the tested REEs of extracted EPS were 123.9-138.2 mg g-1 for Komarekiella sp. 89.12, 133.1-137.4 mg g-1 for Desmonostoc muscorum 90.03, and 103.5-129.3 mg g-1 for Nostoc sp. 20.02. A comparison of extracted biomass with intact biomass showed that 16% (Komarekiella sp. 89.12), 28% (Desmonostoc muscorum 90.03), and 41% (Nostoc sp. 20.02) of REE adsorption was due to the biosorption of the extracellular EPS. The glucose- rich EPS (15%-43% relative concentration) of all three strains grown under nitrogen-limited conditions showed significantly higher biosorption rates for all REEs. We also found a significantly higher maximum adsorption capacity of all REEs for the extracted EPS compared to cells without EPS and untreated biomass, highlighting the important role of the EPS as a binding site for REEs in the biosorption process. EPS from cyanobacteria could thus be used as efficient biosorbents in future applications for REE recycling, e.g., industrial process water and wastewater streams.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Paper
- Werner Siemens-Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Patrick Jung
- Integrative Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, Pirmasens, Germany
| | - Max Koch
- Synthesis and Characterization of Innovative Materials, Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Michael Lakatos
- Integrative Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, Pirmasens, Germany
| | - Tom Nilges
- Synthesis and Characterization of Innovative Materials, Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Thomas B. Brück
- Werner Siemens-Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Department of Aerospace and Geodesy, TUM AlgaeTec Center, Ludwig Bölkow Campus, Taufkirchen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Liu T, Zhang X, Liang J, Liang W, Qi W, Tian L, Qian L, Li Z, Chen X. Ultraflat Graphene Oxide Membranes with Newton-Ring Prepared by Vortex Shear Field for Ion Sieving. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:9641-9650. [PMID: 37615333 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
The wrinkles on graphene oxide (GO) membranes have unique properties; however, they interfere with the mass transfer of interlayer channels, posing a major challenge in the development of wrinkle-free GO membranes with smooth channels. In this study, the wrinkles on GO were flattened using vortex shear to tightly stack them into ultraflat GO membranes with Newton's ring interference pattern, causing hydrolysis of the lipid bonds in the wrinkles and an increase in the number of oxygen-containing groups. With increasing flatness, the interlayer spacing of the GO membranes decreased, improving the stability of the interlayer structure, the flow resistance of water through the ultraflat interlayer decreased, and the water flux increased 3-fold. Importantly, the selectivity for K+/Mg2+ reached approximately 379.17 in a real salt lake. A novel concept is proposed for the development of new membrane preparation methods. Our findings provide insights into the use of vortex shearing to flatten GO.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianqi Liu
- MOE Frontiers Science Center for Rare Isotopes, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Institute of National Nuclear Industry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- MOE Frontiers Science Center for Rare Isotopes, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Institute of National Nuclear Industry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jing Liang
- MOE Frontiers Science Center for Rare Isotopes, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Institute of National Nuclear Industry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wenbin Liang
- MOE Frontiers Science Center for Rare Isotopes, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Institute of National Nuclear Industry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wei Qi
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry and Materia Medica, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Longlong Tian
- MOE Frontiers Science Center for Rare Isotopes, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Institute of National Nuclear Industry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Lijuan Qian
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Zhan Li
- MOE Frontiers Science Center for Rare Isotopes, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Institute of National Nuclear Industry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Ximeng Chen
- MOE Frontiers Science Center for Rare Isotopes, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Institute of National Nuclear Industry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sadeghi SM, Soares HMVM. A sustainable hydrometallurgical strategy for recycling efficiently platinum from spent reforming petroleum catalyst. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:101410-101423. [PMID: 37653195 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28964-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Platinum (Pt) is one of the most precious metals with a variety of unique industrial applications, particularly in catalytic reactions, being its recovery, after use, essential. Therefore, this work proposes a simplified hydrometallurgical strategy to recover Pt efficiently from the original (no milling) spent petrochemical Pt catalyst using an economical and environmentally sustainable process. To that end, the effectiveness of a two-step workflow constituted by one microwave-assisted leaching step using a mixture of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) followed by one ion-exchange purification step was developed and optimized. It was found that complete dissolution of Pt plus aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) from the roasted original size catalyst was achieved after microwave-assisted leaching with 25% (v/v) HCl and 2% (v/v) H2O2 during 2 cycles of 60 s. Furthermore, a strong anionic exchange (Purogold™ A194) resin used for subsequent selective purification of Pt from Al and Fe was capable of effective separation of the metals: Pt in the eluate presented a purity of 98.1%, while Al, in the raffinate, presented a purity of 99.8%. In summation, it can be concluded that the overall process is a potentially good addition to a more circular economy as it manages to recover high-quality Pt for being reused as well as other by-products, whilst minimizing the consume of reagents, leaching time (and, thus, energy), and environmental impacts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Maryam Sadeghi
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Departamento de Engenharia Química, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade Do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
| | - Helena M V M Soares
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Departamento de Engenharia Química, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade Do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sarker SK, Pownceby MI, Bruckard W, Haque N, Bhuiyan M, Pramanik BK. Unlocking the potential of sulphide tailings: A comprehensive characterization study for critical mineral recovery. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 328:138582. [PMID: 37023909 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Sulphide tailings are a major environmental concern due to acid mine drainage and heavy metal leaching, with costly treatments that lack economic benefits. Reprocessing these wastes for resource recovery can address pollution while creating economic opportunities. This study aimed to evaluate the potential for critical mineral recovery by characterizing sulphide tailings from a Zn-Cu-Pb mining site. Advanced analytical tools, such as electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-based energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), were utilized to determine the physical, geochemical, and mineralogical properties of the tailings. The results showed that the tailings were fine-grained (∼50 wt% below 63 μm) and composed of Si (∼17 wt%), Ba (∼13 wt%), and Al, Fe, and Mn (∼6 wt%). Of these, Mn, a critical mineral, was analyzed for recovery potential, and it was found to be largely contained in rhodochrosite (MnCO3) mineral. The metallurgical balance revealed that ∼93 wt% of Mn was distributed in -150 + 10 μm size fractions containing 75% of the total mass. Additionally, the mineral liberation analysis indicated that Mn-grains were primarily liberated below 106 μm size, suggesting the need for light grinding of above 106 μm size to liberate the locked Mn minerals. This study demonstrates the potential of sulphide tailings as a source for critical minerals, rather than being a burden, and highlights the benefits of reprocessing them for a resource recovery to address both environmental and economic concerns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuronjit Kumar Sarker
- Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, RMIT University, VIC, 3001, Australia
| | - Mark I Pownceby
- CSIRO Mineral Resources, Clayton South, Melbourne, VIC 3169, Australia
| | - Warren Bruckard
- CSIRO Mineral Resources, Clayton South, Melbourne, VIC 3169, Australia
| | - Nawshad Haque
- CSIRO Mineral Resources, Clayton South, Melbourne, VIC 3169, Australia
| | - Muhammed Bhuiyan
- Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, RMIT University, VIC, 3001, Australia
| | - Biplob Kumar Pramanik
- Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, RMIT University, VIC, 3001, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lu M, Shao L, Yang Y, Li P. Simultaneous Recovery of Lithium and Boron from Brine by the Collaborative Adsorption of Lithium-Ion Sieves and Boron Chelating Resins. Ind Eng Chem Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.2c03650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mengxiang Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai200237, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Integrated Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai200237, China
| | - Liqiang Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai200237, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Integrated Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai200237, China
| | - Ying Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai200237, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Integrated Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai200237, China
| | - Ping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai200237, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Integrated Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai200237, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Liu Y, Wang J, Hoek EMV, Municchi F, Tilton N, Cath TY, Turchi CS, Heeley MB, Jassby D. Multistage Surface-Heated Vacuum Membrane Distillation Process Enables High Water Recovery and Excellent Heat Utilization: A Modeling Study. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:643-654. [PMID: 36579652 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Surface-heated membrane distillation (MD) enhances the energy efficiency of desalination by mitigating temperature polarization (TP). However, systematic investigations of larger scale, multistage, surface-heated MD system with high water recovery and heat recycling are limited. Here, we explore the design and performance of a multistage surface-heated vacuum MD (SHVMD) with heat recovery through a comprehensive finite difference model. In this process, the latent heat of condensation is recovered through an internal heat exchanger (HX) using the retentate from one stage as the condensing fluid for the next stage and an external HX using the feed as the condensing fluid. Model results show that surface heating enhances the performance compared to conventional vacuum MD (VMD). Specifically, in a six-stage SHVMD process, 54.44% water recovery and a gained output ratio (GOR) of 3.28 are achieved with a surface heat density of 2000 W m-2, whereas a similar six-stage VMD process only reaches 18.19% water recovery and a GOR of 2.15. Mass and energy balances suggest that by mitigating TP, surface heating increases the latent heat trapped in vapor. The internal and external HXs capture and reuse the additional heat, which enhances the GOR values. We show for SHVMD that the hybrid internal/external heat recovery design can have GOR value 1.44 times higher than that of systems with only internal or external heat recovery. Furthermore, by only increasing six stages to eight stages, a GOR value as high as 4.35 is achieved. The results further show that surface heating can reduce the energy consumption of MD for brine concentration. The multistage SHVMD technology exhibits a promising potential for the management of brine from industrial plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Liu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California90095, United States
| | - Jingbo Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California90095, United States
| | - Eric M V Hoek
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California90095, United States
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California90095, United States
- Institute of the Environment & Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California90095, United States
- Energy Technologies Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California94720, United States
| | - Federico Municchi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado80401, United States
| | - Nils Tilton
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado80401, United States
| | - Tzahi Y Cath
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado80401, United States
| | - Craig S Turchi
- Thermal Energy Science & Technologies Research Group, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado80401, United States
| | - Michael B Heeley
- Department of Economics and Business, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado80401, United States
| | - David Jassby
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California90095, United States
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California90095, United States
- Institute of the Environment & Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California90095, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Vicari F, Randazzo S, López J, Fernández de Labastida M, Vallès V, Micale G, Tamburini A, D'Alì Staiti G, Cortina JL, Cipollina A. Mining minerals and critical raw materials from bittern: Understanding metal ions fate in saltwork ponds. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 847:157544. [PMID: 35878854 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Seawater represents a potential resource for raw materials extraction. Although NaCl is the most representative mineral extracted other valuable compounds such as Mg, Li, Sr, Rb and B and elements at trace level (Cs, Co, In, Sc, Ga and Ge) are also contained in this "liquid mine". Most of them are considered as Critical Raw Materials by the European Union. Solar saltworks, providing concentration factors of up-to 20 to 40, offer a perfect platform for the development of minerals and metal recovery schemes taking benefit of the concentration and purification achieved along the evaporation saltwork ponds. However, the geochemistry of these elements in this environment has not been yet thoroughly evaluated. Their knowledge could enable the deployment of technologies capable to achieve the recovery of valuable minerals. The high ionic strengths expected (0.5-7 mol/kg) and the chemical complexity of the solutions imply that only numerical geochemical codes, as PHREEQC, and the use of Pitzer model to estimate the activity coefficients of the different species in solution can be adopted to provide valuable description of the systems. In the present work, for the first time, PHREEQC Pitzer code database was extended to include the target minor and trace elements using Trapani saltworks (Sicily, Italy) as a case study system. The model was able to predict: i) the purity in halite and the major impurities contained, mainly Ca, Mg and sulphate species; ii) the fate of minor components as B, Sr, Cs, Co, Ge and Ga along the evaporation ponds. The results obtained pose a fundamental step in critical raw materials mining from seawater brine, for process intensification and combination with desalination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - S Randazzo
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università di Palermo (UNIPA), Palermo, Italy
| | - J López
- Chemical Engineering Department, UPC-BarcelonaTECH, Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Center for Multiscale Science and Engineering, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Fernández de Labastida
- Chemical Engineering Department, UPC-BarcelonaTECH, Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Center for Multiscale Science and Engineering, Barcelona, Spain
| | - V Vallès
- Chemical Engineering Department, UPC-BarcelonaTECH, Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Center for Multiscale Science and Engineering, Barcelona, Spain
| | - G Micale
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università di Palermo (UNIPA), Palermo, Italy
| | - A Tamburini
- ResourSEAs srl, Palermo, Italy; Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università di Palermo (UNIPA), Palermo, Italy
| | | | - J L Cortina
- Chemical Engineering Department, UPC-BarcelonaTECH, Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Center for Multiscale Science and Engineering, Barcelona, Spain; Water Technology Center (CETaqua), Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain.
| | - A Cipollina
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università di Palermo (UNIPA), Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Vallès V, Fernández de Labastida M, López J, Battaglia G, Winter D, Randazzo S, Cipollina A, Cortina J. Sustainable recovery of critical elements from seawater saltworks bitterns by integration of high selective sorbents and reactive precipitation and crystallisation: developing the probe of concept with on-site produced chemicals and energy. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
|
10
|
Li QY, Xu C, Liang YR, Yang Z, LeGe N, Peng J, Chen L, Lai WH, Wang YX, Tao Z, Liu M, Chou S. Reforming Magnet Waste to Prussian Blue for Sustainable Sodium-Ion Batteries. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:47747-47757. [PMID: 36250578 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c13639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Increasing generation of permanent magnet waste has resulted in an urgent need to preserve finite resources. Reforming these wastes as feedstock to produce renewables is an ideal strategy for addressing waste and energy challenges. Herein, our work reports a smart and sustainable strategy to convert iron in magnet wastes into Prussian blue analogues that can serve as cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries. Moreover, a method to control feed rates is proposed to generate high-quality materials with fewer [Fe(CN)6] vacancies at a feed rate of 3 mL min-1. The recycled Na1.46Fe[Fe(CN)6]0.85·□0.15 shows low vacancies and excellent cycling stability over 300 cycles (89% capacity retention at 50 mA g-1). In operando, evidence indicates that high-quality Prussian blue allows fast sodium-ion mobility and a high degree of reversibility over the course of cycling, although with a three-phase-transition mechanism. This study opens up a future direction for magnet waste created with the expectation of being environmentally reused.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Yan Li
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Materials and Manufacturing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing100124, China
| | - Chunmei Xu
- Institute for Carbon Neutralization, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou325035, China
| | - Ya-Ru Liang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan411105, China
| | - Zhuo Yang
- Institute for Carbon Neutralization, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou325035, China
- Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, Australian Institute for Innovative Materials, University of Wollongong, Innovation Campus, North Wollongong2522, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Niubu LeGe
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Materials and Manufacturing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing100124, China
- Institute for Carbon Neutralization, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou325035, China
| | - Jian Peng
- Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, Australian Institute for Innovative Materials, University of Wollongong, Innovation Campus, North Wollongong2522, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lijia Chen
- Institute of Intelligent Manufacturing, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Modern Control Technology, Guangzhou510000, China
| | - Wei-Hong Lai
- Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, Australian Institute for Innovative Materials, University of Wollongong, Innovation Campus, North Wollongong2522, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yun-Xiao Wang
- Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, Australian Institute for Innovative Materials, University of Wollongong, Innovation Campus, North Wollongong2522, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Zhanliang Tao
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, China
| | - Min Liu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Materials and Manufacturing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing100124, China
| | - Shulei Chou
- Institute for Carbon Neutralization, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou325035, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Qiao D, Dai T, Wang G, Ma Y, Fan H, Gao T, Wen B. Exploring potential opportunities for the efficient development of the cobalt industry in China by quantitatively tracking cobalt flows during the entire life cycle from 2000 to 2021. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 318:115599. [PMID: 35780676 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Owing to its key role in high-tech industry and clean energy technology, cobalt has been regarded as a critical material in many countries. In this paper, material flow analysis was used to quantitatively track cobalt material flows in China throughout the entire life cycle from 2000 to 2021. Based on data pertaining to cobalt commodity trade, cobalt loss during raw material processing, and recovered cobalt, we analysed the actual cobalt consumption in China. During the study period from 2000 to 2021, the main findings were as follows: (1) China's cobalt raw material imports accounted for 84.7% of the total raw materials acquired, while the export of cobalt-containing end products amounted to 32.6% of the total production. (2) China's cumulative net import of all cobalt commodities reached 561 kt, and battery products accounted for 73.3% of the total cobalt consumption. (3) China recovered 77 kt of cobalt from end-of-life products, while 327 kt of cobalt was not recovered. (4) The cumulative cobalt loss during raw material processing reached 288 kt, with the highest loss occurring in refining (51.0%), followed by manufacturing and fabrication (26.5%), beneficiation (12.3%), and ore mining (10.2%). The overall utilization efficiency of cobalt was 73.8% throughout the entire life cycle. (5) China's actual cobalt consumption reached 497 kt, accounting for 51.9% of the apparent cobalt consumption. Moreover, 61.1% of the cobalt products produced in China was consumed domestically, while 38.9% was exported. The massive export of cobalt commodities resulted in China bearing a disproportionate responsibility for carbon emission reduction. The research results can provide a scientific reference for the reasonable adjustment of the trade structure of cobalt commodities and realization of the economic and efficient utilization of cobalt resources in China.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Donghai Qiao
- College of Geographical Science, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010022, China; Inner Mongolia Plateau Key Laboratory of Disaster and Ecological Security, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010022, China.
| | - Tao Dai
- Research Center for Strategy of Global Mineral Resources, Institute of Mineral Resources, CAGS, Beijing, 100037, China.
| | - Gaoshang Wang
- Research Center for Strategy of Global Mineral Resources, Institute of Mineral Resources, CAGS, Beijing, 100037, China
| | - Yanling Ma
- College of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010022, China
| | - Hailong Fan
- School of Construction Machinery, Chang'an University, Xi'an, 710064, China
| | - Tianming Gao
- Research Center for Strategy of Global Mineral Resources, Institute of Mineral Resources, CAGS, Beijing, 100037, China
| | - Bojie Wen
- Research Center for Strategy of Global Mineral Resources, Institute of Mineral Resources, CAGS, Beijing, 100037, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Battaglia G, Berkemeyer L, Cipollina A, Cortina JL, Fernandez de Labastida M, Lopez Rodriguez J, Winter D. Recovery of Lithium Carbonate from Dilute Li-Rich Brine via Homogenous and Heterogeneous Precipitation. Ind Eng Chem Res 2022; 61:13589-13602. [PMID: 36123999 PMCID: PMC9480836 DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.2c01397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
An extensive experimental campaign on Li recovery from
relatively
dilute LiCl solutions (i.e., Li+ ∼ 4000 ppm) is
presented to identify the best operating conditions for a Li2CO3 crystallization unit. Lithium is currently mainly
produced via solar evaporation, purification, and precipitation from
highly concentrated Li brines located in a few world areas. The process
requires large surfaces and long times (18–24 months) to concentrate
Li+ up to 20,000 ppm. The present work investigates two
separation routes to extract Li+ from synthetic solutions,
mimicking those obtained from low-content Li+ sources through
selective Li+ separation and further concentration steps:
(i) addition of Na2CO3 solution and (ii) addition
of NaOH solution + CO2 insufflation. A Li recovery up to
80% and purities up to 99% at 80 °C and with high-ionic strength
solutions was achieved employing NaOH solution + CO2 insufflation
and an ethanol washing step.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Battaglia
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Palermo (UNIPA), viale delle Scienze Ed.6, Palermo 90128, Italy
| | - Leon Berkemeyer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstraße 2, Freiburg 79110, Germany
| | - Andrea Cipollina
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Palermo (UNIPA), viale delle Scienze Ed.6, Palermo 90128, Italy
| | - José Luis Cortina
- Chemical Engineering Department, Escola d′Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)-BarcelonaTECH, C/Eduard Maristany 10−14, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, Barcelona 08930, Spain
| | - Marc Fernandez de Labastida
- Chemical Engineering Department, Escola d′Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)-BarcelonaTECH, C/Eduard Maristany 10−14, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, Barcelona 08930, Spain
| | - Julio Lopez Rodriguez
- Chemical Engineering Department, Escola d′Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)-BarcelonaTECH, C/Eduard Maristany 10−14, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, Barcelona 08930, Spain
| | - Daniel Winter
- Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstraße 2, Freiburg 79110, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Sarker SK, Haque N, Bruckard W, Bhuiyan M, Pramanik BK. Development of a geospatial database of tailing storage facilities in Australia using satellite images. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 303:135139. [PMID: 35636610 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Tailings storage facilities (TSFs) are the main source of pollution from mining operations. However, TSFs are increasingly being considered as the potential secondary sources of some critical minerals. Recovering the critical minerals from TSFs is important due to both environmental and economic implications. Yet, identification of the potential TSFs is the major challenge in this venture due to the lack of publicly available database of TSFs. The objective of this study was to identify the TSFs and document their status in the form of a database for Australia. Visual inspection and interpretation of satellite images in Google Earth were used to identify the TSFs in 6 states and the publicly available database of TSFs for Western Australia (WA) was validated in this study to incorporate into a national-level database. This study has identified 331 active and 759 inactive TSFs in Australia. Among the sites, 42 active and 56 inactive mine sites with TSFs were found within 2 km of urban centres in the studied states. Coal and gold were the major commodities of 27% of active mine sites with the TSFs and 38% of inactive mine sites with TSFs, respectively. Approximately 16% of active mine sites with TSFs and 28% of inactive mine sites with TSFs were found to process copper as a major commodity. Considering the companionability matrix, many of these TSFs could be explored for the possible recovery of critical minerals (e.g. rare earth elements, cobalt). This study has developed a national-level database of TSFs for Australia for the first time, and it could be used for a number of applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuronjit Kumar Sarker
- Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, RMIT University, VIC, 3001, Australia; Water: Effective Technologies and Tools (WETT) Research Centre, RMIT University, Australia
| | - Nawshad Haque
- CSIRO Mineral Resources, Clayton South, Melbourne, VIC, 3169, Australia
| | - Warren Bruckard
- CSIRO Mineral Resources, Clayton South, Melbourne, VIC, 3169, Australia
| | - Muhammed Bhuiyan
- Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, RMIT University, VIC, 3001, Australia; Water: Effective Technologies and Tools (WETT) Research Centre, RMIT University, Australia
| | - Biplob Kumar Pramanik
- Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, RMIT University, VIC, 3001, Australia; Water: Effective Technologies and Tools (WETT) Research Centre, RMIT University, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Wu L, Zhang C, Kim S, Hatton TA, Mo H, Waite TD. Lithium recovery using electrochemical technologies: Advances and challenges. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 221:118822. [PMID: 35834973 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Driven by the electric-vehicle revolution, a sharp increase in lithium (Li) demand as a result of the need to produce Li-ion batteries is expected in coming years. To enable a sustainable Li supply, there is an urgent need to develop cost-effective and environmentally friendly methods to extract Li from a variety of sources including Li-rich salt-lake brines, seawater, and wastewaters. While the prevalent lime soda evaporation method is suitable for the mass extraction of Li from brine sources with low Mg/Li ratios, it is time-consuming (>1 year) and typically exhibits low Li recovery. Electrochemically-based methods have emerged as promising processes to recover Li given their ease of management, limited requirement for additional chemicals, minimal waste production, and high selectivity towards Li. This state-of-the-art review provides a comprehensive overview of current advances in two key electrochemical Li recovery technologies (electrosorption and electrodialysis) with particular attention given to advances in understanding of mechanism, materials, operational modes, and system configurations. We highlight the most pressing challenges these technologies encounter including (i) limited electrode capacity, poor electrode stability and co-insertion of impurity cations in the electrosorption process, and (ii) limited Li selectivity of available ion exchange membranes, ion leakage and membrane scaling in the electrodialysis process. We then systematically describe potentially effective strategies to overcome these challenges and, further, provide future perspectives, particularly with respect to the translation of innovation at bench-scale to industrial application.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wu
- UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Changyong Zhang
- UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| | - Seoni Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - T Alan Hatton
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Hengliang Mo
- Beijing Origin Water Membrane Technology Company Limited, Huairou, Beijing 101400, PR China
| | - T David Waite
- UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; UNSW Centre for Transformational Environmental Technologies, Yixing, Jiangsu Province 214206, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Lin S, Pan Y, Du J, Yang Y, Su H, Yu J. Double-edged role of interlayer water on Li + extraction from ultrahigh Mg 2+/Li + ratio brines using Li/Al-LDHs. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 627:872-879. [PMID: 35901566 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.07.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Lithium-aluminum layered double hydroxides (Li/Al-LDHs) are the only industrial adsorbents for Li+ extraction from Mg2+/Li+ ratio brines dependent on the special neutral desorption without dissolution damage. In this work, Li/Al-LDHs with different interlayer water contents were designed for the investigation of correlation between interlayer water and Li+ adsorption performances in high Mg2+/Li+ ratio brines. On the one hand, the Li+ adsorption capacity of Li/Al-LDHs in the Qarham Salt Lake old brine with a Mg2+/Li+ ratio exceeding 300 presented a positive correlative relation with the interlayer water content, rising from 1.05 mg/g to 7.89 mg/g as the interlayer water content increased from 5.52% to 18.18%. On the other hand, the interlayer water content would not affect the structure stability of Li/Al-LDHs, while the interlayer spacing was lessened with less interlayer water resulting in an uptrend to the adsorption selectivity on account of the depressed confinement effect. The density functional theory (DFT) calculation further indicated that LiCl was easier to enter the structure of Li/Al-LDHs with more interlayer water in view of the greater interaction energy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sen Lin
- National Engineering Research Center for Integrated Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanan Pan
- National Engineering Research Center for Integrated Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianglong Du
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Center of Advanced Lubrication and Seal Materials, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Haiping Su
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jianguo Yu
- National Engineering Research Center for Integrated Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Kim N, Jeong S, Go W, Kim Y. A Na + ion-selective desalination system utilizing a NASICON ceramic membrane. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 215:118250. [PMID: 35278915 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Seawater is a virtually unlimited source of minerals and water. Hence, electrodialysis (ED) is an attractive route for selective seawater desalination due to the selectivity of its ion exchange membrane (IEM) toward the target ion. However, a solution-like IEM, which is permeable to water and ions other than the target ion, results in the leakage of water as well as extraction of unwanted ions. This degrades the productivity and purity of the system. In this study, A novel desalination system was developed by replacing the cation exchange membrane (CEM) with a Na super ionic conductor (NASICON) in ED. NASICON exceptionally permits Na+ ion migration, and this enhanced the productivity of desalted water by removing 98% of Na+ while retaining water and other cationic minerals. Therefore, the final volume of desalted water in N-ED was 1.36 times larger compared to that of ED. In addition, the specific energy consumption for salt (NaCl) extraction was reduced by ∼13%. Furthermore, the NASICON in N-ED was replaced into a two-sided NASICON-structured rechargeable seawater battery, thereby further conserving ∼20% energy by simultaneously coupling selective desalination with energy storage. Our findings have positive implications and further optimizations of the NASICON will enable practical and energy-effective applications for seawater utilization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Namhyeok Kim
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Seongwoo Jeong
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Wooseok Go
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngsik Kim
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea; R&D Center, 4TOONE Corporation, UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Abidli A, Huang Y, Ben Rejeb Z, Zaoui A, Park CB. Sustainable and efficient technologies for removal and recovery of toxic and valuable metals from wastewater: Recent progress, challenges, and future perspectives. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 292:133102. [PMID: 34914948 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Due to their numerous effects on human health and the natural environment, water contamination with heavy metals and metalloids, caused by their extensive use in various technologies and industrial applications, continues to be a huge ecological issue that needs to be urgently tackled. Additionally, within the circular economy management framework, the recovery and recycling of metals-based waste as high value-added products (VAPs) is of great interest, owing to their high cost and the continuous depletion of their reserves and natural sources. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art technologies developed for the removal and recovery of metal pollutants from wastewater by providing an in-depth understanding of their remediation mechanisms, while analyzing and critically discussing the recent key advances regarding these treatment methods, their practical implementation and integration, as well as evaluating their advantages and remaining limitations. Herein, various treatment techniques are covered, including adsorption, reduction/oxidation, ion exchange, membrane separation technologies, solvents extraction, chemical precipitation/co-precipitation, coagulation-flocculation, flotation, and bioremediation. A particular emphasis is placed on full recovery of the captured metal pollutants in various reusable forms as metal-based VAPs, mainly as solid precipitates, which is a powerful tool that offers substantial enhancement of the remediation processes' sustainability and cost-effectiveness. At the end, we have identified some prospective research directions for future work on this topic, while presenting some recommendations that can promote sustainability and economic feasibility of the existing treatment technologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdelnasser Abidli
- Microcellular Plastics Manufacturing Laboratory (MPML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G8, Canada; Institute for Water Innovation (IWI), Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 55 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A4, Canada.
| | - Yifeng Huang
- Microcellular Plastics Manufacturing Laboratory (MPML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G8, Canada; Institute for Water Innovation (IWI), Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 55 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A4, Canada; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Zeineb Ben Rejeb
- Microcellular Plastics Manufacturing Laboratory (MPML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Aniss Zaoui
- Microcellular Plastics Manufacturing Laboratory (MPML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Chul B Park
- Microcellular Plastics Manufacturing Laboratory (MPML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G8, Canada; Institute for Water Innovation (IWI), Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 55 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A4, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
An adsorptive sulfonated polyethersulfone/functionalized graphene ultrafiltration membrane for hardness removal. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.120567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
19
|
Bashiri A, Nikzad A, Maleki R, Asadnia M, Razmjou A. Rare Earth Elements Recovery Using Selective Membranes via Extraction and Rejection. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:80. [PMID: 35054606 PMCID: PMC8779715 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12010080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Recently, demands for raw materials like rare earth elements (REEs) have increased considerably due to their high potential applications in modern industry. Additionally, REEs' similar chemical and physical properties caused their separation to be difficult. Numerous strategies for REEs separation such as precipitation, adsorption and solvent extraction have been applied. However, these strategies have various disadvantages such as low selectivity and purity of desired elements, high cost, vast consumption of chemicals and creation of many pollutions due to remaining large amounts of acidic and alkaline wastes. Membrane separation technology (MST), as an environmentally friendly approach, has recently attracted much attention for the extraction of REEs. The separation of REEs by membranes usually occurs through three mechanisms: (1) complexation of REE ions with extractant that is embedded in the membrane matrix, (2) adsorption of REE ions on the surface created-active sites on the membrane and (3) the rejection of REE ions or REEs complex with organic materials from the membrane. In this review, we investigated the effect of these mechanisms on the selectivity and efficiency of the membrane separation process. Finally, potential directions for future studies were recommended at the end of the review.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Atiyeh Bashiri
- School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran 16845-161, Iran;
| | - Arash Nikzad
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2054-6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z4, Canada;
| | - Reza Maleki
- Department of Physics, University of Tehran, Tehran 14395-547, Iran;
| | - Mohsen Asadnia
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia;
| | - Amir Razmjou
- UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology, School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Asadollahzadeh M, Torkaman R. Extraction of dysprosium from waste neodymium magnet solution with ionic liquids and ultrasound irradiation procedure. KOREAN J CHEM ENG 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11814-021-0970-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
21
|
Cipolletta G, Lancioni N, Akyol Ç, Eusebi AL, Fatone F. Brine treatment technologies towards minimum/zero liquid discharge and resource recovery: State of the art and techno-economic assessment. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 300:113681. [PMID: 34521009 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In the framework of minimum liquid discharge (MLD) or zero liquid discharge (ZLD), sustainable brine management can be achieved via appropriate hybrid treatment technologies that provide water reuse, resource recovery, energy recovery and even freshwater production. This paper reviews the state of the art brine treatment technologies targeting MLD/ZLD and resource recovery and highlights their advantages and limitations. The right combination of treatment processes can add a high value to the brine management and shift the focus from removal to recovery and reuse point and help to adopt a more circular economy approach. ZLD technologies targets 100% water recovery using both membrane- and thermal-based technologies, while they are often hindered by high cost and intensive energy requirement. Meanwhile, the recovery of salts and other resources can partially compensate the operation cost of ZLD processes. MLD is a promising option that achieves up to 95% water recovery by using mainly membrane-based technologies. At this point, feasibility assessment is important to assess the environmental and economic sound of technologies. In the second part, we provide a techno-economic assessment of the most common technologies to provide possible benefits on a desalination plant. In the latter sections, innovative brine treatment schemes are discussed aiming MLD/ZLD, while resource recovery from brine and possible valorization routes of the recovered materials are highlighted to help to reduce the overall costs of the plants and to reach the targets of circular economy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cipolletta
- Department of Science and Engineering of Materials, Environment and Urban Planning-SIMAU, Marche Polytechnic University, via Brecce Bianche 12, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - Nicola Lancioni
- Department of Science and Engineering of Materials, Environment and Urban Planning-SIMAU, Marche Polytechnic University, via Brecce Bianche 12, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - Çağrı Akyol
- Department of Science and Engineering of Materials, Environment and Urban Planning-SIMAU, Marche Polytechnic University, via Brecce Bianche 12, 60131, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Anna Laura Eusebi
- Department of Science and Engineering of Materials, Environment and Urban Planning-SIMAU, Marche Polytechnic University, via Brecce Bianche 12, 60131, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Francesco Fatone
- Department of Science and Engineering of Materials, Environment and Urban Planning-SIMAU, Marche Polytechnic University, via Brecce Bianche 12, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Zhang J, Liu Y, Liu W, Wang L, Chen J, Zhu Z, Qi T. Mechanism study on the synergistic effect and emulsification formation of phosphine oxide with β-diketone for lithium extraction from alkaline systems. Sep Purif Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2021.119648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
23
|
Abstract
Lithium is the principal component of high-energy-density batteries and is a critical material necessary for the economy and security of the United States. Brines from geothermal power production have been identified as a potential domestic source of lithium; however, lithium-rich geothermal brines are characterized by complex chemistry, high salinity, and high temperatures, which pose unique challenges for economic lithium extraction. The purpose of this paper is to examine and analyze direct lithium extraction technology in the context of developing sustainable lithium production from geothermal brines. In this paper, we are focused on the challenges of applying direct lithium extraction technology to geothermal brines; however, applications to other brines (such as coproduced brines from oil wells) are considered. The most technologically advanced approach for direct lithium extraction from geothermal brines is adsorption of lithium using inorganic sorbents. Other separation processes include extraction using solvents, sorption on organic resin and polymer materials, chemical precipitation, and membrane-dependent processes. The Salton Sea geothermal field in California has been identified as the most significant lithium brine resource in the US and past and present efforts to extract lithium and other minerals from Salton Sea brines were evaluated. Extraction of lithium with inorganic molecular sieve ion-exchange sorbents appears to offer the most immediate pathway for the development of economic lithium extraction and recovery from Salton Sea brines. Other promising technologies are still in early development, but may one day offer a second generation of methods for direct, selective lithium extraction. Initial studies have demonstrated that lithium extraction and recovery from geothermal brines are technically feasible, but challenges still remain in developing an economically and environmentally sustainable process at scale.
Collapse
|
24
|
Ma L, Gutierrez L, Verbeke R, D'Haese A, Waqas M, Dickmann M, Helm R, Vankelecom I, Verliefde A, Cornelissen E. Transport of organic solutes in ion-exchange membranes: Mechanisms and influence of solvent ionic composition. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 190:116756. [PMID: 33387949 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ion-exchange membrane (IEM)-based processes are used in the industry or in the drinking water production to achieve selective separation. The transport mechanisms of organic solutes/micropollutants (i.e., paracetamol, clofibric acid, and atenolol) at a single-membrane level in diffusion cells were similar to that of salts (i.e., diffusion, convection, and electromigration). The presence of an equal concentration of salts at both sides of the membrane slightly decreased the transport of organics due to lower diffusion coefficients of organics in salts and the increase of hindrance and/or decrease of partitioning in the membrane phase. In the presence of a salt gradient, diffusion was the main transport mechanism for non-charged organics, while the counter-transport of salts promoted the transport of charged organics through electromigration (electroneutrality). Conversely, the co-transport of salts hindered the transport of charged organics, where diffusion was the main transport mechanism of the latter. Although convection played a role in the transport of non-charged organics, its influence on the charged solutes was minimal due to the dominant electromigration. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy showed a bimodal size distribution of free-volume elements of IEMs, with both classes of free-volume elements contributing to salt transport, while larger organics can only transport through the larger class.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lingshan Ma
- Particle and Interfacial Technology Group, Ghent University, Belgium.
| | - Leonardo Gutierrez
- Particle and Interfacial Technology Group, Ghent University, Belgium; Facultad del Mar y Medio Ambiente, Universidad del Pacifico, Ecuador
| | - Rhea Verbeke
- Membrane Technology Group, Centre for Membrane Separations, Adsorption, Catalysis and Spectroscopy for Sustainable Solutions, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Arnout D'Haese
- Particle and Interfacial Technology Group, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Muhammad Waqas
- Particle and Interfacial Technology Group, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Marcel Dickmann
- Institut für Angewandte Physik und Messtechnik, Universität der Bundeswehr München, Germany
| | - Ricardo Helm
- Institut für Angewandte Physik und Messtechnik, Universität der Bundeswehr München, Germany
| | - Ivo Vankelecom
- Membrane Technology Group, Centre for Membrane Separations, Adsorption, Catalysis and Spectroscopy for Sustainable Solutions, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Arne Verliefde
- Particle and Interfacial Technology Group, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Emile Cornelissen
- Particle and Interfacial Technology Group, Ghent University, Belgium; KWR Water Research Institute, Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Aliaskari M, Schäfer AI. Nitrate, arsenic and fluoride removal by electrodialysis from brackish groundwater. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 190:116683. [PMID: 33373946 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Nitrate, arsenic and fluoride are some of the most hazardous elements contaminating groundwater resources. In this work, the impact of operative (flowrate, electricpotential) and water quality (salinity, contaminant feed concentration, pH) parameters on brackish water decontamination was investigated using a batch electrodialysis (ED) system. Electrodialysis at low electric potentials (5 V) was more selective toward monovalent ions, at higher potentials (>15 V) removal of all ions increased and selectivity approached one, meaning removal of all ions. Changing the flowrate from 30 to 70 L/h, increased nitrate and fluoride removal slightly, while arsenic(V) removal was maximum at 50 L/h. Rising salinity delayed removal of ions with low ionic mobility and diffusivity (i.e. fluoride, arsenic(V)). Increased feed concentration of contaminants had no impact on removal values. pH variations did not impact the nitrate, fluoride and salinity removal, yet arsenic(V) removal was greatly pH dependent. This was explained in part by lower diffusivity and higher hydration number of bi- and trivalent species of arsenic(V) at basic pH. The results of this work showed the significance of ionic characteristics (diffusivity, ionic mobility, hydration number) in ED. Nitrate concentrations satisfied guideline threshold in all experiments with concentrations below 50 mg/L. Lowest arsenic(V) concentration was 35 µg/L at the highest electric potential, 25 V. Using ionic characteristics makes separation of different ions possible, providing new opportunities for ED in environmentally friendly processes (e.g. resource recovery and zero liquid discharge).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mehran Aliaskari
- Institute for Advanced Membrane Technology (IAMT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Andrea I Schäfer
- Institute for Advanced Membrane Technology (IAMT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Karlsruhe, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Sun Y, Wang Q, Wang Y, Yun R, Xiang X. Recent advances in magnesium/lithium separation and lithium extraction technologies from salt lake brine. Sep Purif Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2020.117807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
|
27
|
Li M, Ji Z, Sheng G, Zhou S, Chang K, Jin E, Guo X. Scavenging mechanism of rare earth metal ions in water by graphene oxide. J Mol Liq 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2020.114940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|
28
|
Pramanik BK, Asif MB, Roychand R, Shu L, Jegatheesan V, Bhuiyan M, Hai FI. Lithium recovery from salt-lake brine: Impact of competing cations, pretreatment and preconcentration. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 260:127623. [PMID: 32668363 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The global demand of lithium is rising steadily, and many industrially advanced countries may find it hard to secure an uninterrupted supply of lithium for meeting their manufacturing demands. Thus, innovative processes for lithium recovery from a wide range of natural reserves should be explored for meeting the future demands. In this study, a novel integrated approach was investigated by combining nanofiltration (NF), membrane distillation (MD) and precipitation processes for lithium recovery from salt-lake brines. Initially, the brine was filtered with an NF membrane for the separation of lithium ions (Li+) from competing ions such as Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+. The extent of permeation of metal ions by the NF membrane was governed by their hydrated ionic radii. Rejection by NF membrane was 42% for Li, 48% for Na and 61% for K, while both the divalent cations were effectively rejected (above 90%). Importantly, in the NF-permeate, Mg2+/Li+ mass ratio reduced to less than 6 (suggested for lithium recovery). The result showed that MD can enrich lithium with a concentration of 2.5 for raw brine and 5 for NF-treated brine. Following the enrichment of NF-permeate by the MD membrane, a two-stage precipitation method was used for the recovery of lithium. X-ray diffraction confirmed the precipitation of lithium as well as the formation of lithium carbonate crystals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Muhammad Bilal Asif
- Strategic Water Infrastructure Laboratory, School of Civil, Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia; Institute of Environmental Engineering & Nano-Technology, Tsinghua-Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Rajeev Roychand
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Li Shu
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | | | - Muhammed Bhuiyan
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Faisal Ibney Hai
- Strategic Water Infrastructure Laboratory, School of Civil, Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| |
Collapse
|