Study on hydrometallurgical process and kinetics of manganese extraction from low-grade manganese carbonate ores

In order to utilize low-grade manganese ore resources effectively, a hydrometallurgical process was developed for manganese extraction in dilute sulfuric acid medium, and the kinetics of leaching manga- nese was also investigated. At room temperature, manganese from low-grade manganese carbonate ores was extracted by sulfuric acid leaching without reductants. During the extracting process, single-factor analysis method was used to evaluate the effects of grinding fineness, sulfuric acid concentration, liquid-to-solid ratio, agitation rate and leaching time on the leaching efficiencies of Mn and Fe. The optimal leaching conditions are determined as coarse particles of below 2 mm size （without ball-milling）, sulfuric acid concentration of 0.86 mol/L, liquid-to-solid ratio of 5：1, agitation rate of 150 r/rain and leaching for 180 min at room temperature. Under the optimal conditions, the leaching efficiencies of Mn and Fe are 96.21g and 13.35%, respectively. In addition, through the experiments at different temper- atures, it is found that the leaching process follows the shrinking core model under the conditions of changing acid concentration and intermittent reaction device. Moreover, the apparent activations of effective diffusion and chemical reaction in the kinetic model are calculated to be 18.83 and 27.15 kJ/mol, respectively.

Lattice Boltzmann model for simulation on leaching process of weathered elution-deposited rare earth ore

The lattice Boltzmann model with coupled chemical reaction was proposed to simulate the ion exchange process of rare earth leaching and verified by comparison with both empirical correlation of mass transfer coefficient and unreacted-core shrinking model. By simulation, the zonation phenomenon of leaching reagent in the leaching column was presented, and the breakthrough curve of leaching reagent was obtained. When t=50 s, there existed the saturated and exchange zones, and the leaching reagent concentration decreased gradually from 20 to 9.3 g/L. In accordance with the breakthrough curve, the breakthrough capacity of ion-type rare earth ore and the adsorbed ion concentration of leaching reagent were derived, the time of t=25 s was the breakthrough point of ammonium ion in leaching reagent and the breakthrough capacity of the rare earth ore was 125 g/L. Besides, the chemical kinetics parameters used for the solute transfer process of rare earth leaching were obtained by the simulation and then were used to determine the rate-limiting steps of rare earth leaching process.

The influence of curing conditions on the mechanical properties and leaching of inorganic polymers made of fayalitic slag

This study reports on the impact of the curing conditions on the mechanical properties and leaching of inorganic polymer （IP） mortars made from a water quenched fayalitic slag. Three similar IP mortars were produced by mixing together slag, aggregate and activating solution, and cured in three different environments for 28 d： a） at 20℃ and relative humidity （RH） - 50% （T20RH50）, b） at 20℃and RH≥90% （T20RH90） and c） at 60℃ and RH - 20% （T60RH20）. Compressive strength （EN 196-1） varied between 19 MPa （T20RH50） and 31 MPa （T20RH90）. This was found to be attributed to the cracks formed upon curing. Geochemical modelling and two leaching tests were performed, the EA NEN 7375 tank test, and the BS EN 12457-1 single batch test. Results show that Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn andAs leaching occurred even at high pH, which varied between 10 and 11 in the tank test＇s leachates and between 12 and 12.5 in the single batch＇s leachates. Leaching values obtained were below the requirements for non-shaped materials of Flemish legislation for As, Cu and Ni in the single batch test.

The potential leaching and mobilization of trace elements from FGD-gypsum of a coal-fired power plant under water re-circulation conditions

Experimental and geochemical modelling studies were carried out to identify mineral and solid phases containing major, minor, and trace elements and the mechanism of the retention of these elements in Flue Gas Desulphurisation（FGD）-gypsum samples from a coal-fired power plant under filtered water recirculation to the scrubber and forced oxidation conditions. The role of the p H and related environmental factors on the mobility of Li, Ni, Zn, As, Se, Mo, and U from FGD-gypsums for a comprehensive assessment of element leaching behaviour were also carried out. Results show that the extraction rate of the studied elements generally increases with decreasing the p H value of the FGD-gypsum leachates. The increase of the mobility of elements such as U, Se, and As in the FGD-gypsum entails the modification of their aqueous speciation in the leachates; UO2SO4, H2 Se, and HAs O2 are the aqueous complexes with the highest activities under acidic conditions.The speciation of Zn, Li, and Ni is not affected in spite of p H changes; these elements occur as free cations and associated to SO4 ^2 in the FGD-gypsum leachates. The mobility of Cu and Mo decreases by decreasing the p H of the FGD-gypsum leachates, which might be associated to the precipitation of Cu Se2 and Mo Se2, respectively. Time-of-Flight mass spectrometry of the solid phase combined with geochemical modelling of the aqueous phase has proved useful in understanding the mobility and geochemical behaviour of elements and their partitioning into FGD-gypsum samples.

Soil mineral nitrogen dynamics in fallow periods in a rainfed semiarid Mediterranean agricultural system

Rainfed agricultural systems in semiarid Mediterranean environments are subject to erratic but often heavy rainfall events.As an agronomic practice,fallow periods can be included even within the existing European Union common policy for crop diversification.This study aimed to quantify the effects of previous mineral fertilization on soil mineral nitrogen(N_(min))content and potential nitrate leaching during no-till fallow periods of crop rotation.The Leaching Estimation and Chemistry Model(LEACHM)was used for soil N_(min)prediction after fallow.During fallow periods,N_(min)measured in the soil profile increased by an average of 125 kg N ha^(-1),whereas the model showed an average increase of 95 kg N ha^(-1).The amount of nitrogen(N)leached was estimated to be 11–38 kg N ha^(-1).The N balance simulated using LEACHM might differ from the actual situation.The calibrated LEACHM underestimated soil N_(min)after a drought period followed by soil water replenishment,probably due to a pulse in soil C and N mineralization caused by the wetting of dry soil,but overestimated soil N_(min)after occasional rainy spells when soil quickly became saturated,probably due to occasional nitrous oxide emissions not being fully accounted for by the model and specific preferential water flow,which might lead to greater nitrate leaching than that simulated by LEACHM using the convection-dispersion equation.The results show that soil N_(min)measurements after fallow periods cannot be well predicted by LEACHM.The findings of this study provide a support for fertilization planning for crop rotation systems including a fallow period to avoid overfertilization in the following cropping season and reduce N environmental impacts.