Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Design and Development of an Innovative Industrial Scale Process to Economically Treat Waste Zinc Residues
EPA Grant Number: R825549C055Subproject: this is subproject number 055 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R825549
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Center for the Study of Metals in the Environment
Center Director: Allen, Herbert E.
Title: Design and Development of an Innovative Industrial Scale Process to Economically Treat Waste Zinc Residues
Investigators: OKeefe, Thomas J.
Institution: Missouri University of Science and Technology
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: May 18, 1995 through May 17, 2000
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
RFA: Hazardous Substance Research Centers - HSRC (1989) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Groundwater, Contaminants, Treatment , Land and Waste Management
Objective:
The two principal objectives of the project were (1) to develop a specific flow sheet design for the treatment of oxidized residues, particularly those containing iron, associated with the minerals and metals processing industry and (2) to obtain a better fundamental understanding of the mechanisms involved in the galvanic stripping process.Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
A major problem faces the minerals industry in the form of huge tonnages of environmentally unacceptable zinc residues. Previously these oxidized dusts, which contain high iron and zinc contents with lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals, were precipitated in chemical forms acceptable for standard landfills. Under current laws, this practice will not be allowed and costs of compliance are expected to increase dramatically. In fact, it may even be necessary to reprocess all the wastes that have been stored and accumulated over the years. The technical challenge is to develop metallurgical and chemical processes to treat these hazardous wastes in an economically viable manner. The most serious technical impediment preventing treatment of these wastes is the inability to separate the iron from the zinc. The investigator on this project has developed a process, galvanic stripping, to separate the iron from the zinc. As the next step, it is important to develop unique in-line processes specifically for handling diversity in feedstock, particularly when certain categories of impurities are present in low concentrations. Many existing processes are basically sound, but supplementary unit processes must be developed to make them more amenable to treat impure metal wastes and residues in an economic fashion.
The patented galvanic stripping process (U.S. Patent 5,228,903) is the basis
of the technology used in this research. There is commercial interest in the
process because direct, short-range spontaneous electrochemical reactions can be
used to accomplish separations that are impossible using conventional
hydrometallurgical methods. Such reactions are not expected because the organic
solutions are essentially non-conductors, at least orders of magnitude worse
than comparable aqueous electrolytes. But electrochemical displacement reactions
using solid metal reductants directly in the organic phase were shown to be
feasible and the reactions of interest follow two generic patterns. Either a
redox reaction occurs or the cation is reduced completely to the metallic state.
Examples for partial iron reduction and complete copper reduction are shown in
the following expressions:
R - Fe3+ + Zn ? R - Fe2+ + R - Zn2+ Redox
R - Cu2+ + Fe ? R - Fe2+ + Cu Complete
Using the galvanic stripping process, the following selected pertinent accomplishments were achieved during this research: The separation of iron from zinc sulfate using the ferric to ferrous reaction in D2EHPA with metallic zinc or iron was demonstrated using industrial waste residues. Identified critical process operating parameters which included temperature, solution pH, water content, aqueous strip chemistry, organic concentration, A/O ratio, agitation and metal surface area. Determined operating conditions using statistical design experiments to maximize reaction rates, reaction stoichiometry, iron removal and minimize zinc losses. Completed preliminary flow sheet design and economic analysis using optimized parameters identified in batch tests. Evaluated industrial solutions to provide a complete impurity distribution between the organic and aqueous phases. The cations not loaded and those loaded and stripped into the final product stream were identified. Conducted electrochemical mechanistic studies using mixed potential and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. Designed and operated a complete lab scale pilot system using continuous cycling of organic and aqueous solutions. Demonstrated that 5 g/L iron could be removed from organic in a single stage to yield a strip solution containing 90 to 130 g/L iron as sulfate. Produced marketable iron products by crystallization of ferrous sulfate crystals and electrowinning metallic iron, a feature which greatly enhanced the economic viability of the galvanic stripping process. Big River Zinc has identified galvanic stripping as the most viable process alternative to treat their leach residue and a joint program with UMR is being prepared. The results of the research were published in a number of suitable journals and symposia proceedings and significant advances were made in providing a better fundamental understanding of the process.
Results from this research have been published in various technical publications. This project involves industrial participants from three different companies.
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other subproject views: | All 9 publications | 4 publications in selected types | All 2 journal articles |
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Other center views: | All 904 publications | 230 publications in selected types | All 182 journal articles |
Type | Citation | ||
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Barrera-Godinez JA, O'Keefe TJ. A continuous flow evaluation of the galvanic stripping process. Separation Science and Technology 1999;34(12):2395-2405. |
R825549C055 (Final) |
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Gu H, Barrera-Godinez JA, Chang CM, O'Keefe TJ. Preliminary design of a solvent extraction process for the galvanic stripping of iron from D2EHPA. Minerals & Metallurgical Processing 2000;17(1):16-22. |
R825549C055 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
heavy metals, extraction, flow sheet, galvanic stripping, zinc., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Water, Remediation, Wastewater, Environmental Chemistry, Geochemistry, Fate & Transport, Analytical Chemistry, Hazardous Waste, Ecology and Ecosystems, Hazardous, fate and transport, hazardous liquid waste, contaminant dynamics, industrial waste, industrial wastewater, galvanic stripping process, chemical transport, chemical kinetics, hazadous waste streams, Zinc, hazardous chemicals, organic chemicals, groundwater contamination, water quality, chemical releases, groundwater, aqueous waste stream, contaminant transport models, heavy metalsRelevant Websites:
http://www.engg.ksu.edu/HSRC Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractMain Center Abstract and Reports:
R825549 Center for the Study of Metals in the Environment Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R825549C006 Fate of Trichloroethylene (TCE) in Plant/Soil Systems
R825549C007 Experimental Study of Stabilization/Solidification of Hazardous Wastes
R825549C008 Modeling Dissolved Oxygen, Nitrate and Pesticide Contamination in the Subsurface Environment
R825549C009 Vadose Zone Decontamination by Air Venting
R825549C010 Thermochemical Treatment of Hazardous Wastes
R825549C011 Development, Characterization and Evaluation of Adsorbent Regeneration Processes for Treament of Hazardous Waste
R825549C012 Computer Method to Estimate Safe Level Water Quality Concentrations for Organic Chemicals
R825549C013 Removal of Nitrogenous Pesticides from Rural Well-Water Supplies by Enzymatic Ozonation Process
R825549C014 The Characterization and Treatment of Hazardous Materials from Metal/Mineral Processing Wastes
R825549C015 Adsorption of Hazardous Substances onto Soil Constituents
R825549C016 Reclamation of Metal and Mining Contaminated Superfund Sites using Sewage Sludge/Fly Ash Amendment
R825549C017 Metal Recovery and Reuse Using an Integrated Vermiculite Ion Exchange - Acid Recovery System
R825549C018 Removal of Heavy Metals from Hazardous Wastes by Protein Complexation for their Ultimate Recovery and Reuse
R825549C019 Development of In-situ Biodegradation Technology
R825549C020 Migration and Biodegradation of Pentachlorophenol in Soil Environment
R825549C021 Deep-Rooted Poplar Trees as an Innovative Treatment Technology for Pesticide and Toxic Organics Removal from Soil and Groundwater
R825549C022 In-situ Soil and Aquifer Decontaminaiton using Hydrogen Peroxide and Fenton's Reagent
R825549C023 Simulation of Three-Dimensional Transport of Hazardous Chemicals in Heterogeneous Soil Cores Using X-ray Computed Tomography
R825549C024 The Response of Natural Groundwater Bacteria to Groundwater Contamination by Gasoline in a Karst Region
R825549C025 An Electrochemical Method for Acid Mine Drainage Remediation and Metals Recovery
R825549C026 Sulfide Size and Morphology Identificaiton for Remediation of Acid Producing Mine Wastes
R825549C027 Heavy Metals Removal from Dilute Aqueous Solutions using Biopolymers
R825549C028 Neutron Activation Analysis for Heavy Metal Contaminants in the Environment
R825549C029 Reducing Heavy Metal Availability to Perennial Grasses and Row-Crops Grown on Contaminated Soils and Mine Spoils
R825549C030 Alachlor and Atrazine Losses from Runoff and Erosion in the Blue River Basin
R825549C031 Biodetoxification of Mixed Solid and Hazardous Wastes by Staged Anaerobic Fermentation Conducted at Separate Redox and pH Environments
R825549C032 Time Dependent Movement of Dioxin and Related Compounds in Soil
R825549C033 Impact of Soil Microflora on Revegetation Efforts in Southeast Kansas
R825549C034 Modeling the use of Plants in Remediation of Soil and Groundwater Contaminated by Hazardous Organic Substances
R825549C035 Development of Electrochemical Processes for Improved Treatment of Lead Wastes
R825549C036 Innovative Treatment and Bank Stabilization of Metals-Contaminated Soils and Tailings along Whitewood Creek, South Dakota
R825549C037 Formation and Transformation of Pesticide Degradation Products Under Various Electron Acceptor Conditions
R825549C038 The Effect of Redox Conditions on Transformations of Carbon Tetrachloride
R825549C039 Remediation of Soil Contaminated with an Organic Phase
R825549C040 Intelligent Process Design and Control for the Minimization of Waste Production and Treatment of Hazardous Waste
R825549C041 Heavy Metals Removal from Contaminated Water Solutions
R825549C042 Metals Soil Pollution and Vegetative Remediation
R825549C043 Fate and Transport of Munitions Residues in Contaminated Soil
R825549C044 The Role of Metallic Iron in the Biotransformation of Chlorinated Xenobiotics
R825549C045 Use of Vegetation to Enhance Bioremediation of Surface Soils Contaminated with Pesticide Wastes
R825549C046 Fate and Transport of Heavy Metals and Radionuclides in Soil: The Impacts of Vegetation
R825549C047 Vegetative Interceptor Zones for Containment of Heavy Metal Pollutants
R825549C048 Acid-Producing Metalliferous Waste Reclamation by Material Reprocessing and Vegetative Stabilization
R825549C049 Laboratory and Field Evaluation of Upward Mobilization and Photodegradation of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-P-Dioxins and Furans in Soil
R825549C050 Evaluation of Biosparging Performance and Process Fundamentals for Site Remediation
R825549C051 Field Scale Bioremediation: Relationship of Parent Compound Disappearance to Humification, Mineralization, Leaching, Volatilization of Transformaiton Intermediates
R825549C052 Chelating Extraction of Heavy Metals from Contaminated Soils
R825549C053 Application of Anaerobic and Multiple-Electron-Acceptor Bioremediation to Chlorinated Aliphatic Subsurface Contamination
R825549C054 Application of PGNAA Remote Sensing Methods to Real-Time, Non-Intrusive Determination of Contaminant Profiles in Soils
R825549C055 Design and Development of an Innovative Industrial Scale Process to Economically Treat Waste Zinc Residues
R825549C056 Remediation of Soils Contaminated with Wood-Treatment Chemicals (PCP and Creosote)
R825549C057 Effects of Surfactants on the Bioavailability and Biodegradation of Contaminants in Soils
R825549C058 Contaminant Binding to the Humin Fraction of Soil Organic Matter
R825549C059 Identifying Ground-Water Threats from Improperly Abandoned Boreholes
R825549C060 Uptake of BTEX Compounds by Hybrid Poplar Trees in Hazardous Waste Remediation
R825549C061 Biofilm Barriers for Waste Containment
R825549C062 Plant Assisted Remediation of Soil and Groundwater Contaminated by Hazardous Organic Substances: Experimental and Modeling Studies
R825549C063 Extension of Laboratory Validated Treatment and Remediation Technologies to Field Problems in Aquifer Soil and Water Contamination by Organic Waste Chemicals
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.
Project Research Results
2 journal articles for this subproject
Main Center: R825549
904 publications for this center
182 journal articles for this center