Detoxification and resource utilization of soda ash chromite ore processing residue by copper slag

Abstract

Chromite ore processing residue (COPR) and copper slag (CS) are industrial waste slags that cause environmental pollution and require effective treatment. This study proposes a new strategy for the co-treatment and resource utilization of COPR and CS. Under the optimal conditions (liquid-solid ratio of 9.99; H2SO4 concentration of 0.85 M; the CS/COPR mass ratio of 9.98%; temperature of 88.20 ℃; and duration of 60 min), the reduction efficiency of Cr(VI) reached 99.48%, and the total Cr leaching concentration of residue reached 1.35 mg/L, which was below the USEPA regulatory limit of 5 mg/L. In addition, the detoxicated slag containing 61.44 wt% Fe2O3 can be used as a raw material in the steel industry. Through kinetic, characterization, and DFT analyses, the effective remediation of Cr(VI) in COPR by CS is a combination of adsorption and reduction. The unreacted shrinkage nuclear reaction model under the control of the surface chemical reaction is the most suitable model to describe the process, and when the apparent activation energy is 63.90 kJ/mol, the apparent rate equation is:1-(1-x)1/3= 1·371×107[CS/COPR]2·35004 [H2SO4]2·3945 [L/S]1·95338 exp(–63·90/RT)This is an important study for waste-waste co-treatment and resource utilization of industrial waste.