Observations and simulations for separation mechanism of vanadium and chromium: Progressive study based on oxides, spinels and vanadium-chromium slag

Abstract

In this study, V2O3-CaO-Cr2O3 oxides system, Fe2VO4-CaO-FeCr2O4 spinels system and V-Cr slag-CaO system were established progressively to investigate the separation effect of vanadium and chromium components in vanadium-chromium slag (V-Cr slag). Then, the separation mechanism was proposed by XRD, SEM and leaching experiments. The results show that the reaction ability of vanadium with calcium is far stronger than that of chromium. In oxides and spinels systems, as CaO increases, CaV2O6, Ca2V2O7, and Ca3V2O8 are generated sequentially. In V-Cr slag-CaO system, additive CaO, along with manganese, magnesium and iron components in V-Cr slag reacts with vanadium, resulting in the complex composition of vanadate. As to chromium component, Cr2O3 in oxides system will be converted into CaCrO4 as n(CaO)/n(V2O3) is higher than 2. Iron in the spinels system reacts with chromium and form solid solution (FexCr1-x)2O3, resulting in less chromium reacting with calcium to produce CaCrO4. In V-Cr slag-CaO system, SiO2 generated by the decomposition of silicate phase combines with part of calcium expected to react with chromium, making CaCrO4 generation more difficult, promoting the separation of vanadium and chromium further. Consequently, during H2SO4 leaching, chromium leaching ratios are 98.75%, 45.77% and 5.91%, respectively, in oxides, spinels and V-Cr slag system when n(CaO)/n(V2O3) is 5. And when n(CaO)/n(V2O3) is 2, more than 90% of vanadium can be leached, however, the leaching ratios of chromium are 0.22%, 0.17% and 0.094% in these three systems. Furthermore, the variation regularities of chromium leaching ratios with CaO amount are described by regression equations. These findings would provide the theoretical support for the calcification roasting process with V-Cr slag.