Selective recovery of chromium, copper, nickel, and zinc from an acid solution using an environmentally friendly process

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2011

Authors

Machado, MD (Author) Other; Soares, EV (Author) Other; Helena Soares (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Vol. 18

Pages: 1279-1285

ISSN: 0944-1344

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 12 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 18 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences

CORDIS: Technological sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-NE3

DOI: 10.1007/s11356-011-0477-5

Abstract (EN): Purpose Real electroplating effluents contain multiple metals. An important point related with the feasibility of the bioremediation process is linked with the strategy to recover selectively metals. In this work, a multimetal solution, obtained after microwave acid digestion of the ashes resulted from the incineration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae contaminated biomass, was used to recover selectively chromium, copper, nickel, and zinc. Results The acid solution contained 3.8, 0.4, 2.8, and 0.2 g/L of chromium(III), copper, nickel, and zinc, respectively. The strategy developed consisted of recovering copper (97.6%), as a metal, by electrolyzing the solution at a controlled potential. Then, the simultaneous alkalinization of the solution (pH 14), addition of H(2)O(2), and heating of the solution led to a complete oxidation of chromium and nickel recovery (87.9% as a precipitate of nickel hydroxide). After adjusting the pH of the remaining solution at pH 10, selective recovery of zinc (82.7% as zinc hydroxide) and chromium (95.4% as a solution of cromate) was achieved. Conclusion The approach, used in the present work, allowed a selective and efficient recovery of chromium, copper, nickel, and zinc from an acid solution using a combined electrochemical and chemical process. The strategy proposed can be used for the selective recovery of metals present in an acid digestion solution, which resulted from the incineration of ashes of biomass used in the treatment of heavy metals rich industrial effluents.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7