Degradation of Hexacyanoferrate (III) from Gold Mining Wastewaters via UV-A/LED Photocatalysis Using Modified TiO2 P25

Abstract

The photocatalytic degradation of potassium hexacyanoferrate (III) was assessed in a bench-scale compound parabolic collectors (CPC) reactor assisted with a light-emitting diode (LED) UV-A source emitting at 365 nm, and using a modified TiO2 as a catalyst via the hydrothermal treatment of commercial Aeroxide P25. The experiments were performed under oxic and anoxic conditions in order to observe a possible reduction of the iron. The modified TiO2 showed a specific surface area 2.5 times greater than the original Aeroxide P25 and its isotherm and hysteresis indicated that the modified catalyst is mesoporous. The bandgap energy (Eg) of the modified TiO2 increased (3.34 eV) compared to the P25 TiO2 band gap (3.20 eV). A specific reaction rate constant of 0.1977 min−1 and an electrical oxidation efficiency of 7.77 kWh/m3 were obtained in the photocatalytic degradation. Although the TiO2 P25 yields a photocatalytic degradation 9.5% higher than that obtained one with the modified catalyst (hydrothermal), this catalyst showed better performance in terms of free cyanide release. This last aspect is a significant benefit since this can help to avoid the pollution of fresh water by reusing the treated wastewater for gold extraction. A photocatalytic degradation of the cyanocomplex of 93% was achieved when the process occurred under oxic conditions, which favored the removal. Summarizing, the hydrothermal method could be a promising treatment to obtain TiO2-based catalysts with larger specific areas.