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A Hydrometallurgical Approach to Produce Nano-ZnO from Electrical Arc Furnace Dusts

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Abstract

As a by-product of the steelmaking industry rich in iron and zinc, electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) landfill disposal is restricted in many countries due to the metal lixiviation risks. Several approaches have been examined to recycle or reuse EAFD. Hydrometallurgical methods mainly include the preparation of pregnant acid leached solution (PLS) using inorganic acids followed by selective metal recovery using different methods. We herein proposed a hydrometallurgical process initiated by acid leaching and finalized by thermal treatment to produce nano-ZnO from EAFD. At the condition of this study, only 67% of zinc was leached by sulfuric acid from EAFD into PLS while 98% of surplus leached iron was removed through precipitation by sodium hydroxide. Additional purification of iron removed PLS was accomplished using di-2 ethylhexyl phosphoric acid to extract Zn+2. The addition of ammonium hydroxide to purified PLS provided (Zn(OH)2)3(ZnSO4)(H2O)5 as the final precursor for nano-ZnO that ultimately transformed to nano-ZnO (60 ± 6 nm particle size) at 850 °C. The achieved results were scrutinized through various tests and analyses including TEM, XRD, SEM, EDS, FTIR, and TGA.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the IRANIAN National science foundation (No. 90003855). We also want to appreciate the cooperation of Dr. Ali Khodayari from the SEM/EDS analysis unit of University of Mohaghegh Ardabili.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Engineering, Shahid Bahonar University, P. O. Box 76169-133, Kerman, Iran

    Esmaeel Darezereshki

  2. Department of Materials, Institute of Science and High Technology and Environmental Sciences, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, 76315-117, Kerman, Iran

    Ali Behrad Vakylabad

  3. Mining and Mineral Processing Department, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

    Babak Koohestani

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  1. Esmaeel Darezereshki
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  2. Ali Behrad Vakylabad
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  3. Babak Koohestani
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Correspondence to Esmaeel Darezereshki or Ali Behrad Vakylabad.

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Darezereshki, E., Vakylabad, A.B. & Koohestani, B. A Hydrometallurgical Approach to Produce Nano-ZnO from Electrical Arc Furnace Dusts. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 38, 1525–1535 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-021-00412-z

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