Abstract
The main aim of the study was to investigate the anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) efficiency as a flocculant relative to goethite particles. This mineral is a toxic waste produced during hydrometallurgical processes and, as a result, poses a threat to the environment. In the experiments, the following analytical methods were applied: potentiometric titration, zeta potential and adsorption amount measurements, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential centrifugal sedimentation, UV/Vis spectrophotometry. The result analysis showed that polyacrylamide adsorbs on the goethite surface; however, its adsorption amount depends on the pH value. Due to the adsorbent–adsorbate electrostatic repulsion, the smallest number of macromolecules adsorbs at pH 9. The PAM adsorption affects the goethite surface charge and zeta potential values. It makes these parameters more negative. What is more regardless of pH value, the polymer addition contributes to clear aggregation of solid particles (suspension destabilization). Thus, PAM can be considered as a potential flocculant improving the goethite removal from aqueous wastes.
Highlights
Goethite is an oxide mineral occurring in many regions, i.e. in the USA, Great Britain, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Algeria, Morocco, Canada, Australia, Cuba, Russia and Poland (Hochleitner 2010)
Both goethite and KBr were dried at 105 °C before the measurement
The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra were obtained by 256 scans with the resolution 2 cm−1
Summary
Goethite is an oxide mineral occurring in many regions, i.e. in the USA, Great Britain, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Algeria, Morocco, Canada, Australia, Cuba, Russia and Poland (Hochleitner 2010). It is a primary mineral in main iron ores as well as important source for yellow–brown pigment (ochre). Goethite is composed of iron oxide (80–90%) and water (about 10%). This is a ferric hydroxide oxide of the following formula: α-FeOOH. Oxygen and hydroxyl anions are packed hexagonally in arrays, whereas all iron atoms are coordinated octahedrally (Britannica 1998)
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