Electrowinning of Iron from Spent Leaching Solutions Using Novel Anion Exchange Membranes
In the Pyror process, electrowinning (EW) is used to recover acid and iron from spent leaching solutions (SLS), where a porous Terylene membrane acts as a separator between the cathode and anode. In this study, a novel anion exchange membrane (AEM)-based EW process is benchmarked against a process w...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-10-01
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| Series: | Membranes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/9/11/137 |
| _version_ | 1797727757514309632 |
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| author | Wouter Dirk Badenhorst Cloete Rossouw Hyeongrae Cho Jochen Kerres Dolf Bruinsma Henning Krieg |
| author_facet | Wouter Dirk Badenhorst Cloete Rossouw Hyeongrae Cho Jochen Kerres Dolf Bruinsma Henning Krieg |
| author_sort | Wouter Dirk Badenhorst |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the Pyror process, electrowinning (EW) is used to recover acid and iron from spent leaching solutions (SLS), where a porous Terylene membrane acts as a separator between the cathode and anode. In this study, a novel anion exchange membrane (AEM)-based EW process is benchmarked against a process without and with a porous Terylene membrane by comparing the current efficiency, specific energy consumption (SEC), and sulfuric acid generation using an in-house constructed EW flow cell. Using an FAP-PK-130 commercial AEM, it was shown that the AEM-based process was more efficient than the traditional processes. Subsequently, 11 novel polybenzimidazole (PBI)-based blend AEMs were compared with the commercial AEM. The best performing novel AEM (BM-5), yielded a current efficiency of 95% at an SEC of 3.53 kWh/kg Fe, which is a 10% increase in current efficiency and a 0.72 kWh/kg Fe decrease in SEC when compared to the existing Pyror process. Furthermore, the use of the novel BM-5 AEM resulted in a 0.22 kWh/kg Fe lower SEC than that obtained with the commercial AEM, also showing mechanical stability in the EW flow cell. Finally, it was shown that below 5 g/L Fe, side reactions at the cathode resulted in a decrease in process efficiency, while 40 g/L yielded the highest efficiency and lowest SECs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:03:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f16e90dee9fa449e84480446700ad23c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0375 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:03:59Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Membranes |
| spelling | doaj.art-f16e90dee9fa449e84480446700ad23c2023-09-02T04:20:51ZengMDPI AGMembranes2077-03752019-10-0191113710.3390/membranes9110137membranes9110137Electrowinning of Iron from Spent Leaching Solutions Using Novel Anion Exchange MembranesWouter Dirk Badenhorst0Cloete Rossouw1Hyeongrae Cho2Jochen Kerres3Dolf Bruinsma4Henning Krieg5Focus Area: Chemical Resource Beneficiation, Faculty of Natural Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South AfricaFocus Area: Chemical Resource Beneficiation, Faculty of Natural Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South AfricaInstitute of Chemical Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart, D-70199 Stuttgart, GermanyFocus Area: Chemical Resource Beneficiation, Faculty of Natural Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South AfricaBruinsma Solutions, 10 Mclagen Str., Potchefstroom 2531, South AfricaFocus Area: Chemical Resource Beneficiation, Faculty of Natural Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South AfricaIn the Pyror process, electrowinning (EW) is used to recover acid and iron from spent leaching solutions (SLS), where a porous Terylene membrane acts as a separator between the cathode and anode. In this study, a novel anion exchange membrane (AEM)-based EW process is benchmarked against a process without and with a porous Terylene membrane by comparing the current efficiency, specific energy consumption (SEC), and sulfuric acid generation using an in-house constructed EW flow cell. Using an FAP-PK-130 commercial AEM, it was shown that the AEM-based process was more efficient than the traditional processes. Subsequently, 11 novel polybenzimidazole (PBI)-based blend AEMs were compared with the commercial AEM. The best performing novel AEM (BM-5), yielded a current efficiency of 95% at an SEC of 3.53 kWh/kg Fe, which is a 10% increase in current efficiency and a 0.72 kWh/kg Fe decrease in SEC when compared to the existing Pyror process. Furthermore, the use of the novel BM-5 AEM resulted in a 0.22 kWh/kg Fe lower SEC than that obtained with the commercial AEM, also showing mechanical stability in the EW flow cell. Finally, it was shown that below 5 g/L Fe, side reactions at the cathode resulted in a decrease in process efficiency, while 40 g/L yielded the highest efficiency and lowest SECs.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/9/11/137electrowinninganion exchange membraneswaste treatmentiron sulphate disposalacid regeneration |
| spellingShingle | Wouter Dirk Badenhorst Cloete Rossouw Hyeongrae Cho Jochen Kerres Dolf Bruinsma Henning Krieg Electrowinning of Iron from Spent Leaching Solutions Using Novel Anion Exchange Membranes Membranes electrowinning anion exchange membranes waste treatment iron sulphate disposal acid regeneration |
| title | Electrowinning of Iron from Spent Leaching Solutions Using Novel Anion Exchange Membranes |
| title_full | Electrowinning of Iron from Spent Leaching Solutions Using Novel Anion Exchange Membranes |
| title_fullStr | Electrowinning of Iron from Spent Leaching Solutions Using Novel Anion Exchange Membranes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Electrowinning of Iron from Spent Leaching Solutions Using Novel Anion Exchange Membranes |
| title_short | Electrowinning of Iron from Spent Leaching Solutions Using Novel Anion Exchange Membranes |
| title_sort | electrowinning of iron from spent leaching solutions using novel anion exchange membranes |
| topic | electrowinning anion exchange membranes waste treatment iron sulphate disposal acid regeneration |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/9/11/137 |
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