Recovery of antimony from acidic and alkaline leaching solution of low-grade antimony ore by electrowinning process.

With regards to the global continuous growth in consumption of base metals such as antimony (Sb), mining companies are currently looking to improve the productivity and extraction of Sb from low grade ore in order to economically process it. With this aim, in this study, an efficient protocol was developed to recover metallic Sb from the low grade Fe3Si2O5(OH)4. Sb3O6(OH). Sb2O3 ore of the Sefid-Abe mine in Zahedan province, Iran, utilizing selective acidic or alkaline leaching followed by Sb electrowinning. A process was developed to recover antimony from an Sb2O3 ore source, using selective acidic or alkaline leaching followed by antimony electrowinning. Sb could be leached with an efficiency of 85 % using 5 M NaOH and 87 % using 5 M hydrochloric acid/5 M sulfuric acid as the digestion solution at 80 °C for 8 h. The electrowinning process plays a significant role in recovery of highly pure Sb metal. Relying on this approach, a high deposition rate and current efficiency have been generated at a deposition potential 2 V at 30 °C (80 °C for alkaline medium). This was achieved by using anode electrode made of graphite and cathode electrode made of steel (two steel electrodes were used for alkaline electrowinning). Additionally, for acidic electrowinning, exploitation of Sb from the electrolyte solution was achieved by applying a current of 0.1 A, resulting in the highest yield equal to 89 %. On the other hand, for alkaline electrowinning, the highest efficiency corresponds to the current intensity of 0.5 A, which resulted in 97 % Sb extraction from the electrolyte solution. The XRD and ICP analysis performed for samples obtained from the electrolysis confirmed that the resulting antimony ingot has an exceptionally high purity.

Effect of sodium acetate additive on gold leaching with cyanide solution: Laboratory and semi-pilot leaching tests.

Heap leaching with a cyanide solution is used for processing low-grade ores; however, owing to the chemical, mineralogical, and physical characteristics of ores and their particle size distribution, extraction efficiencies are often low. This study investigated the effects of sodium acetate addition on gold extraction from Akshoky deposit ores under laboratory and semi-pilot laboratory test conditions. The gold-bearing ore used in this study had average gold and silver contents of 1.32 and 3.27 g/t, respectively. The chemical composition of the ore was as follows (wt%): copper: 0.0185, nickel: 0.0090, cobalt: 0.0025, zinc: 0.0470, lead: 0.0095, total iron: 4.10, calcium oxide: 3.08, magnesium oxide: 1.10, sodium oxide: 1.40, potassium oxide: 0.82, silicon oxide: 64.22, aluminum oxide: 13.37, arsenic: 0.023, antimony: 0.0024, total sulfur: 0.24, sulfate sulfur: 0.040, and sulfide sulfur: 0.20. Gold in the ore occurs in different forms: free/native form grains (82 %), covered with films (3.28 %), associated with sulfides (6.56 %), and in fine-grained form (8.20 %). Laboratory tests showed that gold dissolution from ground ore by a cyanide solution without sodium acetate addition was 83.08 %. However, with sodium acetate addition (0.1; 0.5; 1.0 kg/t), it increased to 84.38-86.61 %. Semi-pilot laboratory tests under heap-leaching conditions confirmed the positive effects of sodium acetate. The increase in gold extraction was 7.6 % (62.9 %) compared with that in the experiments without reagent addition (55.30 %).

Selective lead capture using amide-containing COFs: A novel strategy for efficient soil remediation.

A critical consideration in the application of phytoremediation to remediate sludge soil contaminated with heavy metals is the potential for leaching risks that prevail prior to the efficient uptake of these metals by plants. The most cost-effective method is to use heavy metal stabilizers with selective adsorption. A novel amide-based COF material (COF-TH) has been synthesized as a heavy metal stabilizer for Pb. COF-TH exhibits significant selectivity for Pb in five-metal-mixed solutions, with a distribution coefficient KD as high as 3279 mL·g-1, which was more than 7.3 times that of other heavy metals. The maximum adsorption capacity of COF-TH for Pb was 189 mg·g-1. The adsorption fitted Langmuir model and intra-particle diffusion model, and satisfied pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The excellent selectivity and adsorption performance originate from the complexation between abundant amide groups and Pb ions. Pot experiments and leaching assays confirm that COF-TH decreased Pb leachate concentrations by 77.8 % without significantly decreasing total phytoextracted amounts of other heavy metals, due to the high selectivity of COF-TH to Pb. Additionally, its positive impact on plant growth and microbial diversity makes it a promising soil remediation agent. This investigation offers a novel approach to mitigate the leaching risk of a specific heavy metal Pb during sludge land application by integrating soil phytoremediation with stabilization techniques.

Fabrication of 3D PCL/PVP scaffolds using monosodium glutamate as porogen by solvent casting/particulate leaching method for oral and maxillofacial bone tissue engineering.

The design of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds should focus on creating highly porous, 3D structures with an interconnected pore network that supports cell growth. The scaffold's pore interconnectivity is directly linked to vascularization, cell seeding, guided cell migration, and transportation of nutrients and metabolic waste. In this study, different types of food flavors including monosodium glutamate, sugar, and sodium chloride were used as the porogens along with PCL/PVP blend polymer for solvent casting/particulate leaching method. The morphology, porosity, interconnectivity, chemical composition, water absorption, and mechanical properties of the fabricated scaffolds are carefully characterized. The scaffolds are biocompatible in bothin vitroandin vivoexperiments and do not trigger any inflammatory response while enhancing new bone formation and vascularization in rabbit calvaria critical-sized defects. The new bone merges and becomes denser along with the experiment timeline. The results indicate that the 3D PCL/PVP scaffolds, using monosodium glutamate as porogen, exhibited suitable biological performance and held promise for bone tissue engineering in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

On the issue of comparing the immobilization characteristics of matrix materials based on Nb-Ta-Ti-oxides of the types AB2O6 and A2B2O7.

In the study presented here, the initial (that is, before the start of the process of natural hydrochemical influence) mineral formula of metamict polycrase in the composition of granite pegmatites of the Baltic Shield, applying an uranium natural half-leaching period, was calculated. To investigate the characteristics of immobilization of actinides in the studied polycrase, the absolute and relative uranium contents are compared with the corresponding uranium contents in the original betafite of the same deposit and age. It has been shown that over its geological history, betafite has lost up to 80% of its original uranium content. The proportion of uranium preserved in polycrase is twice as high. It is concluded that the difference in the relative content of uranium (27.3 wt% in polycrase and 31.6 wt% in betafite) cannot be the only reason for the complete oxidation of uranium in betafite, given that in polycrase 30% of uranium is preserved in the tetravalent state. It is more likely that the oxidation of uranium in betafite was primarily a result of the low ionicity of the chemical bonds compared to that in polycrase. This allows us to consider minerals of the euxenite group to be quite promising as matrix materials for the immobilization of actinides. At the same time, an opinion was expressed on the advisability of further comparative studies of Nb-Ta-Ti-oxides of the mineral groups AB2O6 and A2B2O7 for their use at the final stage of the nuclear fuel cycle.

Effect of in situ CO2 mixing of cement paste on the leachability of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)).

In situ CO2 mixing technology is a potential technology for permanently sequestering CO2 during concrete manufacturing processes. Although it has been approved as a promising carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) method, its effect on the leachability of heavy metals from cementitious compounds has not yet been studied. This study focuses on the effect of in situ CO2 mixing of cement paste on the leaching of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). The tank leaching test of the CO2 mixing cement specimen resulted in a Cr(VI) cumulative leaching of 0.614 mg/m2 in 28 d, which is ten times lower than that of the control mixing specimens. The results in thermogravimetric analysis indicated that a relatively significant amount of CrO42- is immobilised as CaCrO4 during the CO2-mixing, and a higher Cr-O extension is observed in the Fourier transform infrared spectra. Furthermore, a portion of the monocarboaluminate is inferred from microstructural analyses to incorporate CrO42- ions. These results demonstrate that in situ CO2 mixing is beneficial not only in reducing CO2 emissions, but also in controlling the leaching of toxic substances.

Fractionation and leaching of Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn from smelter residues of an old environmental liability in Argentina.

An integrated chemical and mineralogical characterization approach was applied to smelter wastes collected from 50-year-old dump sites in Argentina. Characterization included pseudo-total element concentrations, acid generation/neutralization potential, sequential extractions, pH-dependent leaching kinetics, and mineralogical analysis of all residues. These analyses provided detailed information on the reactivity of the minerals in the waste material and associated metal release. Cadmium and Zn were the elements of greatest environmental concern due to their high mobility. On average, the release of Zn and Cd in pH-dependent leaching essays reached 17.6% (up to 5.24 mg g-1) and 52.7% (up to 0.02 mg g-1) of the pseudo-total content, respectively. Moreover, Cd and Zn were also the metals that showed the higher proportions of labile fractions associated to the adsorbed and exchangeable fraction (60-92% for Cd and 19-38% for Zn). Since Cd and Zn concentrations in the residue are not high enough to form their own minerals, a large proportion of these elements would be weakly adsorbed on Fe oxyhydroxides. In contrast, the low release of Cu, Pb and Fe would be associated with these elements being incorporated into the crystalline structure of insoluble or very poorly soluble minerals. Lead is incorporated into plumbojarosite and anglesite. Copper was mainly in association with Fe oxyhydroxides and may also have been incorporated into the plumbojarosite structure. The latter could act as a sink especially for Pb under the acidic conditions of the smelter residue. Despite the elevated concentrations of Pb observed in the residue, it showed a very low mobility (≈0.1%), indicating that it is mostly stabilized. Nevertheless, the smelter residue is a continuous source of metals requiring remediation.

Mass balance and economic study of a treatment chain for nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements recovery from Ni-MH batteries.

The aim of this project is to develop and evaluate the economic performance of a complete process for recovering nickel, cobalt, and rare earths (REEs) from nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery waste. The main elements contained in the battery powder are Ni (523 g/kg), La (58 g/kg), Co (39 g/kg), Zn (21 g/kg), Nd (19 g/kg), Sm (19 g/kg) and Ce (14 g/kg). Metal leaching was carried out with 2 M sulfuric acid, solubilising 100% of Ni, 93% of Co and 94% of REEs. Rare earths were precipitated with NaOH, then purified after resolubilization in nitric acid. Solvent extraction with bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) followed by bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinic acid (Cyanex 272) was used to separate Ni and Co. At the end of the process, REEs, nickel, and cobalt were recovered as oxides after precipitation as oxalates. The REE, nickel and cobalt oxides obtained have purities of 97.6%, 97.2% and 93.2% respectively. A techno-economic study was carried out using SuperPro Designer software. In this scenario, plant capacity was set at 1.0 t of used battery powder per hour for an operating period of 8 h/d and 250 days per year. The total investment was estimated at $26.9 million, with a payback period of 1.58 years. For a 15-year life, the net present value of this project is estimated at $95.9 million, with an interest rate of 7%. The internal rate of return is estimated at 46.1%, which is considered acceptable and economically viable.

A novel strategy for recovery of heavy metals and synthesis of Co-rich alloy from the alkali-treated tungsten residue using photovoltaic silicon kerf waste.

The treatment of spent cemented carbides using the conventional alkali-acid leaching process results in the generation of hazardous solid waste tungsten leaching residue. This study proposed an alternative process using the alkali-treated tungsten leaching residue (AW-residue) without the acid leaching step, preserving Co in the residue. By using photovoltaic silicon kerf waste (SKW) as a reducing agent, heavy metals (Co, Ni, W, Nb, and Ta) were efficiently extracted from AW-residue and a Co-rich alloy was obtained. The silicothermic reduction process facilitated the recovery of iron group metals (Co, Ni, and Fe) and effectively captured trace refractory metals (W, Ta, and Nb). Phase separation occurred through reduction reaction and viscosity-driven processes between the Co-rich alloy and the slag. Optimal conditions were identified as 20% SKW addition, MgO crucible, and a holding time of 120 min, achieving a total recovery yield of 95.5%, with specific yields for Co (97.7%), Ni (97.0%), W (82.5%), Nb (76.3%), and Ta (70.5%). A 20 kg pilot-scale experiment confirmed the feasibility of the process, yielding 47.0% Co-rich alloy from AW-residue compared to 48.3% in lab-scale experiment, and producing a harmless slag phase. This environmentally friendly approach promotes sustainable recycling of valuable metals in the tungsten industry.

Screening the release of chemicals and microplastic particles from diverse plastic consumer products into water under accelerated UV weathering conditions.

Photodegradation of plastic consumer products is known to accelerate weathering and facilitate the release of chemicals and plastic particles into the aquatic environment. However, these processes are complex. In our presented pilot study, eight plastic consumer products were leached in distilled water under strong ultraviolet (UV) light simulating eight months of Central European climate and compared to their respective dark controls (DCs). The leachates and formed plastic particles were exploratorily characterized using a range of chemical analytical tools to describe degradation and leaching processes. These techniques covered (a) microplastic analysis, showing substantial liberation of plastic particles further increased under UV exposure, (b) non-targeted mass spectrometric characterization of the leachates, revealing several hundreds of chemical features with typically only minor agreement between the UV exposure and the corresponding DCs, (c) target analysis of 71 organic analytes, of which 15 could be detected in at least one sample, and (d) metal(loid) analysis, which revealed substantial release of toxic metal(loid)s further enhanced under UV exposure. A data comparison with the US-EPA's ToxVal and ToxCast databases showed that the detected metals and organic additives might pose substantial health and environmental concerns, requiring further study and comprehensive impact assessments.

Review of methods for alumina recovery from mudstone and coal fly ash.

Developing recovery methods from coal mine waste like mudstone and coal fly ash (CFA) is crucial to expanding the alumina supply beyond bauxite. This review explores various approaches for alumina recovery from mudstone and CFA. Six main leaching techniques are discussed-caustic soda, nitric acid, Sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and leaching roasted coal mine wastes. Due to high silica content, these techniques differ from those for bauxite minerals. Alkaline solutions, like sodium and calcium hydroxide, show promise but are cost-intensive. Sulphuric acid, combined with calcium hydroxide or sodium carbonate before roasting, yields efficient results, surpassing 90 % recovery. Microbial extraction also shows promise, but commercialisation faces equipment accessibility challenges. Heat treatment and optimal calcination temperatures are crucial, especially with acid reagents like Sulphuric and hydrochloric acids, preferred for insolubility in silica and better recovery. Sustainable alumina recovery requires further research into economically viable and ecologically friendly technology. This review underscores the need for feasible, high-purity alumina recovery techniques from mudstone and CFA for industrialisation.

Phosphorus attenuation and mobilization in sand filters treating onsite wastewater.

The effectiveness of phosphorus (P) removal by sand filters is limited during septic tank effluent (STE) treatment. The elevated effluent P concentrations pose threats to drinking water quality and contribute to eutrophication. The concern of P leaching from sand filters is further exacerbated by the increased frequency of flooding and natural precipitation due to climate change. This study aimed to understand P attenuation and leaching dynamics, as well as the removal mechanisms in sand filters treating STE, offering insights into the design and implementation of P removal/recovery modules to onsite wastewater treatment systems. P attenuation and leaching during STE treatment and rainfall were studied in bench-scale columns (new vs. aged sand). At standard STE loading (1.2 gallon d-1 ft-2), 24-32% removal of total phosphorus (TP) was achieved, while increased P removal efficiency (35-53%) was observed at low loading (0.6 gallon d-1 ft-2) with influent containing 10.3-20.0 mg P L-1. Complete breakthroughs were observed in both aged (12-70 days) and new columns (27-73 days) at test hydraulic loadings. The maximum TP attenuation level was 20.6-45.3 mg P kg-1 and 25.3-33.0 mg P kg-1, in aged and new sand columns, respectively. When simulated rain was applied (15-60 mm h-1), 80-97% of the attenuated P leached out and the leaching dynamics were impacted by rainfall duration rather than the intensity. The highest concentrations of TP (15.6-15.9 mg L-1) were leached out from both columns within the first 2-6 h. Orthophosphate was the dominant P species in treated effluent (83-84%) and leachate (69-88%), demonstrating its significance as the major P form in the discharge. In addition, aged sand (>5 years) accumulated higher levels of Mg, Al, Ca, and Fe, thus enhancing the P attenuation level during STE treatment. Collectively, this study underscored the importance of frequent field monitoring for reliable long-term P removal estimates.

Impact of seasonality and forest stand age on ion deposition in rehabilitated forests.

This study examines the critical interaction between seasonal precipitation variability and forest maturity in determining ion deposition patterns in rehabilitated forest ecosystems. This research was conducted in rehabilitated forest sites in Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia that had ecologically similar plant distribution, species, and age in each planting area. This facilitated the standardization of rainfall deposition in the different study plots which streamlined the study of these specific facets of ecosystem dynamics. The goal is to understand how seasonal changes and the age of the forest influence the chemical composition of the flux that relates to the movement and deposition of nutrients through the forest ecosystem. This flux is a key factor in the health of the forest ecosystem and nutrient cycling. Using ion exchange resin (IER) samplers, we accurately measured and compared the deposition of different ions (Ca2+, Na+, Fe2+, Cu2+, NO3 -, NH4 + and SO4 2-) across different seasons and forest ages. The deposition of Ca2+ and NH4+ was significantly lower in the low-precipitation season than in the high-precipitation season in all forest stands, regardless of the year they were established (1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, and 2009). In contrast, ions such as Na+, Fe2+, Cu2+, NO3 - and SO4 2- showed no clear seasonal fluctuations. In addition, the study shows that through-fall in forest stands from 2002, 2005 and 2009 had higher concentrations of Ca2+ in both seasons than in 1996 and 1999. Interestingly, forest stands from 2009 and 2002 had elevated levels of Na+ and SO42- in seasons with low precipitation, while stands from 1996 had higher levels in seasons with high precipitation. Our results emphasize the crucial role of precipitation amount and canopy age in determining ion deposition in forest ecosystems. By demonstrating the significant influence of precipitation seasonality and forest maturity on the chemical composition of throughfall, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of nutrient dynamics in developing forest landscapes and provides valuable insights for ecological restoration measures.

Exploring Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Presence and Potential Leaching from Reverse Osmosis Membranes: Implications for Drinking Water Treatment.

Reverse osmosis (RO) is increasingly used in drinking water production to effectively remove micropollutants, such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, RO membranes themselves may contain PFAS, which can potentially leach into treated drinking water. Leaching experiments and direct total oxidizable precursor assays revealed the presence and leaching potential of PFOS (branched and linear), PFBA, PFHxA, PFNA, and PFOA in five selected commercial RO membranes. This resulted in the release of tens of milligrams of ΣPFAS per membrane element used in drinking water production. Depending on assumptions made regarding leaching kinetics and volume of produced water per membrane element, predicted concentrations of ΣPFAS in the produced water ranged from less than one up to hundreds of pg/L. These concentrations are two to four orders of magnitude lower than those currently observed in Dutch drinking waters. The origin of PFAS in the membranes remains unclear. Further research is needed to bridge the gap between the laboratory conditions as used in this study and the real-world conditions and for a full understanding of potential leaching scenarios. Such an understanding is critical for water producers using RO technologies to proactively manage and mitigate potential PFAS contamination.

Toxicity of soil leaching liquor from coking plant in developmental zebrafish embryos/larvae model.

The coking industry in China is the largest coke supplier in the world. Contaminated soil in industrial areas poses a serious threat to human and ecosystems. Most of the studies investigated the toxicity of soil from coking plant on soil microorganisms, while the toxic effects of soil leaching liquor on aquatics are limited. In this study, the composition of soil leaching liquor from a coking plant in Taiyuan (TY) was analyzed, and the developmental toxicity on zebrafish was evaluated. The results showed that a total of 91 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were detected in the leaching liquor, followed by phenols and benzene series. The leaching liquor induced developmental impairment in zebrafish larvae, including delayed incubation, deficits in locomotor behavior, vascular and cardiac dysplasia, and impaired neurodevelopment. The results of metabolomics analysis showed that TY soil leaching liquor induced significant metabolic profile disturbances in zebrafish embryos/larvae. The developmental toxicity of the leaching liquor metabolic disorders may be associated with the leaching liquor-induced abnormalities in zebrafish embryonic development. Metabolic pathways were identified by arginine and proline metabolism, phosphotransferase system, starch and sucrose metabolism, steroid biosynthesis, beta-alanine metabolism, and nucleotide metabolism pathways.

Assessment of the mobility of potentially toxic trace elements (PTEs) and radionuclides released in soils stabilized with mixtures of bentonite-lime-phosphogypsum.

Phosphogypsum (PG) is a solid by-product of the phosphate industry, rich in contaminants and produced in large quantities. Raw materials and stabilized specimens, consisting of bentonite-lime-PG mixtures, were characterized by mineralogical, microstructural, chemical, alpha-particle, and gamma-ray spectrometry analysis before hydration and after hardening. Compressive strength and leaching tests were performed on hardened specimens. The physicochemical parameters and chemical composition of leachates from raw materials and hardened specimens were determined. PG contains high concentrations of natural radionuclides, specially from U series. Uranium-238 activities are double in PG than the worldwide average for soil values. The mobility of PTEs from PG is Cd (2.43%), Zn (2.36%), Ni (2.07%), Cu (1.04%), Pb (0.25%), and As (0.21%). Cadmium is the cation most easily released by PG in water with a concentration 0.0316 mg kg-1. When PG is added to bentonite-lime mixture, cadmium is no longer released. The radionuclide 238,234U and 210Po predominates in the leachates of PG. However, the activity of 210Po becomes negligible in the leachates of bentonite-lime-PG mixtures. The addition of PG to bentonite-lime mixtures facilitates the trapping of trace elements (PTEs) and radionuclides, providing potential applications for PG as road embankments and fill coatings.

Kinetics study on the low-temperature soda roasting of boron-rich blast furnace slag.

The method of preparing borax by low-temperature soda roasting and water leaching of boron-rich blast furnace slag (BRBFS) is a novel method for extracting boron from BRBFS. In order to further improve the water leaching rate of boron, this article mainly studied the low-temperature soda roasting kinetics of BRBFS. The effects of roasting temperature and Na2CO3 addition on the water leaching rate of boron were investigated. The results demonstrate that when the amount of Na2CO3 added is four times of the theoretical amount, the kinetics of NaBO2 formation can be described by the Nucleation (Avrami) model in the temperature range of 600-700 °C. The corresponding apparent activation energy is 54.45 kJ/mol, and the apparent frequency factor is 215.16 h-1. It was found that at a roasting temperature of 700 °C,when the amount of sodium carbonate added is twice, three times, and four times of the theoretical amount, the kinetics of NaBO2 formation matches with 3-D Diffusion (Jander) model, Nucleation and Growth (Avrami-Erofeev) model, and Nucleation (Avrami) model, respectively. With an increase in the amount of Na2CO3 added, the rate-controlling step for the formation of NaBO2 transitions from being diffusion-controlled to nucleation-controlled.

Effects of Cross-linker Chemistry on Bioelectrocatalytic Reactions in a Redox Cross-linked Network of Glucose Dehydrogenase and Thionine.

Enzyme-mediator bioconjugation is emerging as a building block for designing electrode platforms for the construction of biosensors and biofuel cells. Here, we report a one-pot bioconjugation technique for flavin adenine dinucleotide-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (FAD-GDH) and thionine (TH) using a series of cross-linkers, including epoxy, N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS), and aldehydes. In this technique, FAD-GDH and thionine are conjugated through an amine cross-linking reaction to generate a redox network, which has been successfully employed for the oxidation of glucose. The bioconjugation chemistry of cross-linkers with the amino groups on FAD-GDH and thionine plays a vital role in generating distinct network structures. The epoxy-type cross-linker reacts with the primary and secondary amines of thionine at room temperature, thereby producing an FAD-GDH-TH-FAD-GDH hyperbranched bioconjugate network, the aldehyde undergoes a rapid cross-linking reaction to produce a network of FAD-GDH-FAD-GDH, while the NHS-based cross-linker can react with the primary amines of both FAD-GDH and thionine, forming an FAD-GDH-cross-linker-TH polymeric network. This reaction has the potential to enable the conjugation of a redox mediator with a FAD-GDH network, which is particularly essential when designing an enzyme electrode platform. The data demonstrated that the polymeric cross-linked network based on the NHS cross-linker exhibited a considerable increase in electron transport while producing a catalytic current of 830 µA cm-2. The cross-linker spacer arm length also affects the overall electrochemical function of the network and its performance; an adequate spacer length containing a cross-linker is required, resulting in a faster electron transfer. Finally, a leaching test confirmed that the stability of the enzyme electrode was improved when the electrode was tested using the redox probe. This study elucidates the relationship between cross-linking chemistry and redox network structure and enhances the high performance of enzyme electrode platforms for the oxidation of glucose.

Selective recovery of antimony from Sb-bearing copper concentrates by integration of alkaline sulphide leaching solutions and microwave-assisted heating: A new sustainable processing route.

The technical feasibility of leaching antimony from an antimony-bearing copper sulphide concentrate, using alkaline sulphide solutions and microwave-assisted and non-assisted heating technology, is investigated at a laboratory scale. The leaching test examines the influence of selective leaching reagent (Na2S and NaOH) concentrations, solid/liquid ratio, and temperature. The results indicate that antimony dissolution is highly selective (e.g. only Sb and As are leached), depending on the concentrations of leaching reagents and the leaching temperature. The influence of temperature on the mineral's dissolution, in the range 25-140 °C, is analysed from a thermochemical point of view using equilibrium databases. Under the optimal conditions: leaching agent: 250 g/L Na2S, 60 g/L NaOH, 2 h, 140 °C, with microwave assisted, the leaching efficiency of Sb reached 95.7 %. The antimony content in the copper concentrate is successfully reduced from 1.1 wt% to <0.2 wt% Sb, making it suitable for copper concentrate metallurgical processing. The study demonstrates that increasing temperature and NaOH/Na2S concentrations collectively enhance leaching efficiency, with a statistical significance, reducing both leaching time and the required temperature, compared to non-microwave-assisted leaching. Furthermore, it is established that excess free hydrogen sulphide ions ensure the efficient dissolution of the main impurities associated with penalties, such as antimony and arsenic, with limited copper and iron dissolution from the copper concentrate, predominantly chalcopyrite. Finally, an integrated hydrometallurgical process flowsheet for antimony removal and recovery from a sulphide copper concentrate is proposed.

Comprehensive insights into phosphorus solubility and organic matter's impact on black phosphate leaching.

The current study introduces groundbreaking insights into how organic matter (OM) of the black phosphate (RB-Ph) uniquely influences phosphorus (P) solubility during acetic acid (AA) leaching, expanding our understanding in this crucial area. To highlight such role, the OM of the RB-Ph was treated separately by different procedures including calcination at 550 â„ƒ/4 h (CB-Ph), 30% hydrogen peroxide (HB-Ph) and intensive grinding to nano-sizes (NB-Ph). The mineralogical, chemical and morphological characteristics of phosphatic and non-phosphatic components of these phosphatic materials were carefully examined pre- and post-treatment via different techniques. The P dissolution of the precursor RB-Ph and its modified derivatives all over the applied experimental parameters traced the following trend: NB-Ph > RB-Ph > CB-Ph > HB-Ph. Intensive grinding to nanoscale resulted in amorphous components with conspicuous OM content (TOC, 0.410%), significantly enhanced P dissolution rate of NB-Ph (730-980 ppm), despite the noticeable reduction in its P2O5 content to 22.34 wt.%. The precursor RB-Ph, thanks to its high OM content (TOC, 0.543%), also displayed a sufficient P dissolution rate (470-750 ppm) compared to the two other modified derivatives, CB-Ph (410-700 ppm) and HB-Ph (130-610 ppm). Such deep and conspicuous impact of OM on P solubility can be tied to their decomposition, releasing not only organic acids but also the adsorbed P by the OM's surficial binding sites to the solution. Finally, the optimum conditions of P leaching were attained at 2:1 acid/solid (w/w) ratio and 2 h of retention time of all investigated samples.