Zinc recovery by ultrasound acid leaching of double kiln treated electric arc furnace dust

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5608685

Barrera Godinez, J A

The need to convert 70,000 tons a year of electric arc furnace (EAF) dust into an environmentally safe or recyclable product has encouraged studies to reclaim zinc from this waste material. Successful characterization of a double-kiln calcine, produced from EAF dust, has shown that the calcine pellets consisted mainly of zinc oxide plates with some iron oxide particles. Preliminary leaching tests using hydrochloric and sulfuric acids indicated that this calcine is suitable for selective ultrasound leaching of zinc. A factorially designed screening test using hydrochloric acid showed that ultrasound significantly lowered iron dissolution and increased zinc dissolution, thus enhancing the selective leaching of zinc. Ultrasound, temperature, air bubbling rate and acidity increased the sulfuric acid selectivity, while fluorosilicic acid was not selective. Reactor characterization through ultrasonic field measurements led to the selection of reactor and ultrasound bath, which were utilized to enhance the selectivity of a laboratory scale sulfuric acid leaching of a double-kiln treated electric arc furnace dust. Results indicated that ultrasonic leaching of this calcine is a satisfactory technique to selectively separate zinc from iron. After further iron removal by precipitation and cementation of nickel, it was possible to electrowin zinc from the leach liquor under common industrial conditions, with current efficiencies from 86% through 92% being observed. Calcine washing showed that a substantial chloride removal is possible, but fluoride ion in the electrolyte caused deposit sticking during electrowinning.

• Research Organization: Missouri Univ., Rolla, MO (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5608685
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320305 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Industrial Waste Management
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ARC FURNACES
CALCINED WASTES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DISSOLUTION
DUSTS
ELECTRIC FURNACES
ELEMENTS
FURNACES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
KILNS
LEACHING
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MATERIALS RECOVERY
METALS
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RECOVERY
RECYCLING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SULFURIC ACID
ULTRASONOGRAPHY
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
ZINC