Acid-leaching mechanism of electroplating sludge: based on a comprehensive analysis of heavy-metal occurrence and the dynamic evolution of coexisting mineral phases.

Abstract

Electroplating sludge is a typical heavy metal-containing hazardous waste with tens of millions of tons produced annually in China. Acid leaching is the most common method to extract valuable heavy metals for resource recycling and environmental protection. However, the coexisting elements, which are released from electroplating sludge to the leaching solution, will hinder the recycling of valuable heavy metals. In this work, dynamic acid-leaching experiments, X-ray diffraction analysis, and simulation calculations were conducted. It was found that coexisting elements (mainly Ca, Fe, and Al) account for a large proportion, and calcium salts as coexisting mineral phase (especially CaCO3) are ubiquitous in electroplating sludge. Moreover, the evolution of coexisting mineral phase plays an essential role in the acid-leaching process: (1) the dissolution of CaCO3 contributed a strong acid-neutralization capability and released Ca2+; (2) H2SO4 is the optimal extracting reagent, since it triggered the transformation of calcium salts to CaSO4·2H2O, reducing the Ca2+ concentration; (3) the coexisting elements Fe and Al would form ferrous and aluminum salt minerals with the acid-leaching process, which reduces the leaching of low-value elements. This work provides a new perspective on the acid-leaching mechanism of electroplating sludge, where the evolution of the mineral phase effect the release of valuable heavy metals and coexisting elements. This work also provides as comprehensive information as possible on electroplating sludge and inspires the improvement of the acid-leaching method.