Some Aspects of the Thermochemical Route for the Valorization of Plastic Wastes, Part I: Reduction of Iron Oxides by Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC).

The mass production of synthetic plastics began in the last century and today they have become one of the most abundant man-made materials. The disposal or the beneficiation of end-of-life plastics represent a great challenge for society especially in the case of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This study is focused on the use of PVC waste as a useful agent for the direct reduction of hematite (Fe2O3) after a thermal treatment at 300 °C for removing the chlorine contained in PVC. Thermal reduction tests were conducted from 600 °C to 1100 °C with (Fe2O3 + PVC + clay) pellet mixtures in which clay was used as plasticizing and binder agent of the pellets. The starting samples and treatment residues were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy through energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to monitor the chemical behavior and reactivity of the pellet constituents during their thermal treatment. The stepwise reduction of hematite up to metallic iron was achieved at temperatures approaching 1000 °C, confirming the capability of using PVC waste for the direct reduction of iron oxides.

Thermochemical Route for Extraction and Recycling of Critical, Strategic and High-Value Elements from By-Products and End-of-Life Materials, Part II: Processing in Presence of Halogenated Atmosphere.

During the treatment of copper anode slime (CAS) under an air atmosphere, several aspects of the interactions of its main components (CuAgSe, Cu2-xSeyS1-y, Ag3AuSe2) with oxygen were described in Part I. As a comparative and complementary study, this work deals with the thermal behavior of CAS under air in the presence of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) between 195 and 770 °C. The preliminary thermal treatment of an e-waste sample containing brominated substances was also performed. The reaction products were systematically analyzed by scanning electron microscopy through energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to investigate the thermal behaviors of the studied samples in a halogenated medium. At low temperatures, the copper, silver and selenium compounds of the CAS reacted with the HCl, issued from PVC degradation, leading to the formation of their respective chlorides. Bromides of valuable metals (Cu, Pb, Sn…) were synthesized during the e-waste treatment at 500 °C and they were distributed between the solid residue and gaseous phase. The data obtained give an insight into the reactivity of several metals towards halogenated substances, which may be valuable information for conducting the extraction and recycling of targeted elements from industrial by-products and end-of-life materials by a thermochemical route.

Green Process for Industrial Waste Transformation into Super-Oxidizing Materials Named Alkali Metal Ferrates (VI).

The investigation presented here features the design of a cleaner and greener chemical process for the conversion of industrial wastes into super-oxidizing materials. The waste of interest is the iron sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO4·7H2O) mainly generated through the sulfate route used for titanium dioxide industrial production. The products of this transformation process are alkali ferrates (A2FeO4, A = Na, K) containing iron in its hexavalent state and considered as powerful oxidants characterized by properties useful for cleaning waters, wastewaters, and industrial effluents. The proposed process includes two steps: (i) The first step consisting of the pre-mixing of two solids (AOH with FeSO4·xH2O) in a rotary reactor allowing the coating of iron sulfate in the alkali hydroxides through solid-solid reactions; and (ii) the second step involves the synthesis of alkali ferrates in a fluidized bed by oxidation of the single solid obtained in the first step in diluted chlorine. The chemical synthesis of alkali ferrates can be carried out within a timeframe of a few minutes. The usage of a fluidized bed enhanced the energy and mass transfer allowing a quasi-complete control of the ferrate synthesis process. The alkali ferrate synthesis process described here possesses many characteristics aligned with the principles of the "green chemistry".

Thermochemical Route for Extraction and Recycling of Critical, Strategic and High Value Elements from By-Products and End-of-Life Materials, Part I: Treatment of a Copper By-Product in Air Atmosphere.

Development of our modern society requests a number of critical and strategic elements (platinum group metals, In, Ga, Ge…) and high value added elements (Au, Ag, Se, Te, Ni…) which are often concentrated in by-products during the extraction of base metals (Cu, Pb, Zn…). Further, recycling of end-of-life materials employed in high technology, renewable energy and transport by conventional extractive processes also leads to the concentration of such chemical elements and their compounds in metallurgical by-products and/or co-products. One of these materials, copper anode slime (CAS), derived from a copper electrolytic refining factory, was used for this study. The sample was subjected to isothermal treatment from 225 to 770 °C under air atmosphere and the reaction products were systematically analyzed by scanning electron microscopy through energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to investigate the thermal behavior of the treated sample. The main components of the anode slime (CuAgSe, Cu2-xSeyS1-y, Ag3AuSe2) react with oxygen, producing mostly copper and selenium oxides as well as Ag-Au alloys as final products at temperatures higher than 500 °C. Selenium dioxide (SeO2) is volatilized and recovered in pure state by cooling the gaseous phase, whilst copper(II) oxide, silver, gold and tellurium remain in the treatment residue.

Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy investigation, dose effect, kinetics and adsorption capacity of phosphate from aqueous solution onto laterite and sandstone.

Environmental pollution by phosphate in developing countries is growing with extensive and diffuse pollution. Solving these problem with intensive technologies is very expensive. Using natural sorbent such as laterite and sandstone could be a solution. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the P-removal efficiency of these materials under various solution properties. Laterite and sandstone used mainly contain very high levels of finely grained iron and aluminum oxy-hydroxides and diverse dioctahedral clays. Phosphate adsorption tests were carried out using crushed laterite and sandstone. Optimal doses and pH effects on phosphate adsorption were studied with a potassium hydrogeno-phosphate solution of 5 mg/L at 30 °C. The main results were that the optimal dosage is 15 and 20 mg/L respectively for laterite and sandstone. The phosphate adsorptions efficiency of laterite and sandstone are pH-dependent, they increase when the pH grows up to the Point of Zero Charge (PZC) and slowly decrease beyond. The adsorption capacities of the materials also increase proportionally with the initial phosphate concentration. The pseudo-second-order successfully described the kinetics of the phosphate adsorption on the two adsorbents. With this model, the adsorption capacity values are obtained, which give an idea of the maximum phosphate uptake that the laterite and sandstone could achieve. The changes on the FTIR spectra of raw materials and phosphate adsorbed material confirm the mechanism of chemisorptions. Considering the above, laterite and sandstone could be used as efficient and cheap adsorbent for the removal of phosphate in aqueous solution.

Occurrence of eight household micropollutants in urban wastewater and their fate in a wastewater treatment plant. Statistical evaluation.

The occurrence in urban wastewater of eight micropollutants (erythromycin, ibuprofen, 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), ofloxacin, sucralose, triclosan, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)) originating from household activities and their fate in a biological wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) were investigated. Their concentrations were assessed in the liquid and solid phases (sewage particulate matter and wasted activated sludge (WAS)) by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The analysis of sewage from two different urban catchments connected to the WWTP showed a specific use of ofloxacin in the mixed catchment due to the presence of a hospital, and higher concentrations of sucralose in the residential area. The WWTP process removed over 90% of ibuprofen and triclosan from wastewater, while only 25% of ofloxacin was eliminated. Erythromycin, sucralose and PFOA were not removed from wastewater, the influent and effluent concentrations remaining at about 0.7 µg/L, 3 µg/L and 10 ng/L respectively. The behavior of PFOS and 4-nonylphenol was singular, as concentrations were higher at the WWTP outlet than at its inlet. This was probably related to the degradation of some of their precursors (such as alkylphenol ethoxylates and polyfluorinated compounds resulting in 4-NP and PFOS, respectively) during biological treatment. 4-NP, ofloxacin, triclosan and perfluorinated compounds were found adsorbed on WAS (from 5 ng/kg for PFOA to 1.0mg/kg for triclosan). The statistical methods (principal component analysis and multiple linear regressions) were applied to examine relationships among the concentrations of micropollutants and macropollutants (COD, ammonium, turbidity) entering and leaving the WWTP. A strong relationship with ammonium indicated that some micropollutants enter wastewater via human urine. A statistical analysis of WWTP operation gave a model for estimating micropollutant output from the WWTP based on a measurement of macropollution parameters.

Stabilization of NaCl-containing cuttings wastes in cement concrete by in situ formed mineral phases.

Disposal of NaCl-containing cuttings is a major environmental concern due to the high solubility of chlorides. The present work aims at reducing the solubility of chloride by encapsulation in low permeability matrix as well as lowering its solubility by trapping into low-solubility phases. Both the studied materials were cuttings from an oil-based mud in oil drillings containing about 50% of halite, and cuttings in water-based mud from gas drilling containing 90% of halite. A reduction in the amount of dissolved salt from 41 to 19% according to normalized leaching tests was obtained by addition of potassium ortho-phosphate in the mortar formula of oil-based cuttings, while the aluminium dihydrogeno-phosphate is even more efficient for the stabilization of water-based cuttings with a NaCl content of 90%. Addition of ortho-phosphate leads to form a continuous and weakly soluble network in the cement matrix, which reduces the release of salt. The formed mineralogical phases were apatite and hydrocalumite. These phases encapsulate the salt grains within a network, thus lowering its interaction with water or/and trap chloride into low-solubility phases. The tested approaches allow to develop a confinement process of NaCl-containing waste of various compositions that can be applied to wastes, whatever the salt content and the nature of the drilling fluids (water or oil).

Infrared spectroscopy of OD vibrators in minerals at natural dilution: hydroxyl groups in talc and kaolinite, and structural water in beryl and emerald.

An infrared (IR) study of natural deuteration is conducted on minerals containing hydroxyl groups (talc and kaolinite) and channel-water-bearing minerals (beryl and emerald). In talc, the OD valence vibration is located at 2710 cm(-1), corresponding to OD groups surrounded by 3 Mg atoms. In kaolinite, the OD valence vibrations are located at 2671 cm(-1) (inner OD group), 2712, 2706, and 2700 cm(-1) (three inner-surface OD groups). In beryl and emerald, natural deuteration of channel water is observed for the first time by infrared microspectroscopy. In beryl from Minas Gerais (Brazil), the OD profiles are characterized by four bands at 2735, 2686, 2672, and 2641 cm(-1). In emeralds from Colombia and Brazil, the OD profiles are characterized by five or four bands, respectively, at 2816, 2737, 2685, 2673, and 2641 cm(-1) (Colombia) and 2730, 2684, 2672, and 2640 cm(-1) (Brazil). The band at 2816 cm(-1) can be assigned to -OD or OD(-), and bands at 2686-2684, 2673-2672, and 2641-2640 cm(-1) can be assigned to type-I and type-II HOD molecules. The band at 2737-2730 cm(-1) is partially disturbed by combination bands of the mineral. Such OD profiles are different from those obtained by artificial deuteration at higher OD dilution.