Search Results (61)

The present work was undertaken to explore the multiple alloys and process steps that have been suggested to mitigate the harmful effects of high iron content in cast Al-Si alloys. The base alloy used was ommercial 413.0 alloy containing 0.35%Mg. Iron was added at three Fe levels up to 1.8%. The addition of Sr, 1.0%Zn, 0.2%Ti were made to the alloys so prepared, which were melted and maintained at a superheat of 750 °C or 950 °C. The melts were poured in different molds that produced three solidification rates. In total, 40 castings were prepared: half of the castings were used for metallographic examinations in the as-cast condition, while the other half were set aside for tensile testing following T6 treatment. The results show that at a solidification rate of 50 °C/s, 1.8%Fe could be dissolved in the aluminum matrix regardless of other melt treatments. With regard to the other solidification rates, superheating at 950 °C, coupled with Sr addition or Sr + Be, reduces the average β-platelets length by 80% (0.8 °C/s) or 95% (8 °C/s). The addition of P causes a marked drop in the alloy tensile strength due to the precipitation of primary Si, Al₂Si₂Sr, and β-AlFeSi hard-phase particles. Therefore, reducing the iron content in the castings may be considered a major objective to be recommended for developing alloys with higher strength and optimum quality values. More than 1000 tensile bars were tested in this study. Full article

Acid mine drainage (AMD) generated during the exploitation and utilization of mineral resources poses a severe environmental problem globally within the mining industry. The Xiaomixi Stream in Ziyang County, Shaanxi Province, is a primary tributary of the Han River, which is surrounded by historically concentrated mining areas for stone coal and vanadium ores. Rainwater erosion of abandoned mine tunnels and waste rock piles has led to the leaching of acidic substances and heavy metals, which then enter the Haoping River and its tributaries through surface runoff. This results in acidic water, posing a significant threat to the water quality of the South-to-North Water Diversion Middle Route within the Han River basin. According to this study’s investigation, Xiaomixi’s acidic water exhibits yellow and white precipitates upstream and downstream of the river, respectively. These precipitates stem from the oxidation of iron-bearing minerals and aluminum-bearing minerals. The precipitation process is controlled by factors such as the pH and temperature, exhibiting seasonal variations. Taking the Xiaomixi Stream in Ziyang County, Shaanxi Province, as the study area, this paper conducts field investigations, systematic sampling of water bodies and river sediments, testing for iron and aluminum pollutants in water, and micro-area observations using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) on sediments, along with analyzing the iron and aluminum content. The deposition is analyzed using handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and visible–near-infrared spectroscopy data, and a geochemical model is established using PHREEQC software. This paper summarizes the migration and transformation mechanisms of iron and aluminum pollutants in acidic water and proposes appropriate prevention and control measures. Full article

The physicochemical and adsorption properties of granular sorbents based on natural bentonite and modified sorbents based on it have been studied. It was found that modification of natural bentonite with iron (III) polyhydroxocations (mod. 1_Fe_5 GA) and aluminum (III) (mod. 1_Al_5 GA) by the “co-precipitation” method leads to a change in their chemical composition, structure, and sorption properties. It is shown that modified sorbents based on natural bentonite are finely porous (nanostructured) objects with a predominance of pores measuring 1.5–8.0 nm, with a specific surface area of 55–65 m²/g. Modification of bentonite with iron (III) and aluminum compounds by the “co-precipitation” method also leads to an increase in the sorption capacity of the obtained sorbents with respect to bichromate and arsenate anions and nickel cations by 5-10 times compared with natural bentonite. The obtained sorption isotherms were classified as Langmuir type isotherms. Kinetic analysis showed that at the initial stage the sorption process is controlled by an external diffusion factor, i.e. refers to the diffusion of sorbent from solution into a liquid film on the surface of the sorbent. Then the sorption process begins to proceed in a mixed diffusion mode, when it limits both the external diffusion factor and the internal diffusion factor (the diffusion of the sorbent to the active centers through the system of pores and capillaries). To determine the contribution of the chemical stage to the rate of adsorption of bichromate and arsenate anions and nickel(II) cations with the studied granular sorbents, kinetic curves were processed using the equations of chemical kinetics (pseudo-second-order model). As a result, it was found that the adsorption of the studied anions by modified sorbents based on natural bentonite is best described by a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. It is shown that the use of natural bentonite for the development of technology for the production of granular sorbents based on it has an undeniable advantage, firstly, in terms of its chemical and structural properties, it is easily and effectively modified, and secondly, having astringent properties, granules are easily made on its basis, which turn into ceramics during high-temperature firing. The result is a granular sorbent with high physical and mechanical properties. Since bentonite is an environmentally friendly product, the technology of recycling spent sorbents is also greatly simplified. Full article

Critical minerals (CMs) are pivotal in modern industries, such as telecommunications, defense, medicine, and aerospace, contributing significantly to regional and global economic growth. However, the reliance on external sources for 26 out of 50 identified CMs raises concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities. To address this, the research focused on developing a hydrometallurgical process for extracting cobalt, manganese, and nickel from acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment by-products, emphasizing the need to diversify CM supply chains within the United States (US). A solution composed of an REE solvent extraction raffinate loaded with cobalt, manganese, nickel, and various impurity metals was utilized as a feedstock in this study. The developed hydrometallurgical process involved initial sodium hydroxide precipitation to remove impurities like aluminum and iron from an SX raffinate solution generated during the extraction of rare earth elements (REEs). Precipitation stages were performed in a pH region ranging from 2 to 12 to identify the optimum pH values, achieving a tradeoff between recovery and impurity removal. A subsequent precipitation process at pH 5–10 yielded a product rich in CMs, such as manganese, cobalt, and nickel. Further separation steps involved nitric acid washing, resulting in a Mn product with a purity of 47.9% by weight and a solution with extractable concentrations of cobalt and nickel. Stagewise precipitation with sodium sulfide subsequently produced three solid products: cobalt and nickel product at pH 1–5, manganese product at pH 5–10, and magnesium at pH 10–12. The study also explored other separation approaches, including solvent extraction, to enhance the separation of nickel from cobalt. Overall, the developed hydrometallurgical process generated the following products with varying degrees of purities: cobalt (9.92 wt.%), nickel (14 wt.%), manganese (47.9 wt.%), and magnesium (27.49 wt.%). This research aimed to contribute to the sustainable extraction of CMs from secondary sources, reducing the US’ reliance on imports and promoting a more resilient supply chain for these crucial elements. Full article

The physicochemical properties of natural bentonite and its sorbents were studied. It has been established the modification of natural bentonites using polyhydroxoxides of iron (III) (mod.1_Fe_5-c) and aluminum (III) (mod.1_Al_5-c) by the “co-precipitation” method led to changes in their chemical composition, structure, and sorption properties. It was shown that modified sorbents based on natural bentonite are finely porous (nanostructured) objects with a predominance of pores of 1.5–8.0 nm in size. The modification of bentonite with iron (III) and aluminum compounds by the “co-precipitation” method also leads to an increase in the sorption capacity of the obtained sorbents with respect to bichromate and arsenate anions. A kinetic analysis showed that, at the initial stage, the sorption process was controlled by an external diffusion factor, that is, the diffusion of the sorbent from the solution to the liquid film on the surface of the sorbent. The sorption process then began to proceed in a mixed diffusion mode when it limited both the external diffusion factor and the intra-diffusion factor (diffusion of the sorbent to the active centers through the system of pores and capillaries). To clarify the contribution of the chemical stage to the rate of adsorption of bichromate and arsenate anions by the sorbents under study, kinetic curves were processed using equations of chemical kinetics (pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and Elovich models). It was found that the adsorption of the studied anions by the modified sorbents based on natural bentonite was best described by a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The high value of the correlation coefficient for the Elovich model (R² > 0.9) allows us to conclude that there are structural disorders in the porous system of the studied sorbents, and their surfaces can be considered heterogeneous. Considering that heterogeneous processes occur on the surface of the sorbent, it is natural that all surface properties (structure, chemical composition of the surface layer, etc.) play an important role in anion adsorption. Full article

Micron-scale zero-valent iron (ZVI)-based material has been applied for hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) decontamination in wastewater treatment and groundwater remediation, but the passivation problem has limited its field application. In this study, we combined aluminum chloride solution with ZVI (pcZVI-AlCl₃) to enhance Cr(VI) removal behavior under aerobic conditions. The optimal pre-corrosion conditions were found to be 2.5 g/L ZVI, 0.5 mM AlCl₃, and a 4 h preconditioning period. Different kinds of techniques were applied to detect the properties of preconditioned ZVI and corrosion products. The ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectra showed that proportions of ZVI, Fe₃O₄, and FeOOH in pcZVI-AlCl₃ were 49.22%, 34.03%, and 16.76%, respectively. The formation of Al(OH)₃ in the corrosion products improved its pH_pzc (point of zero charge) for Cr(VI) adsorption. Continuous-flow experiments showed its great potential for Cr(VI) removal in field applications. The ZVI and corrosion products showed a synergistic effect in enhancing electron transfer for Cr(VI) removal. The mechanisms underlying Cr(VI) removal by pcZVI-AlCl₃ included adsorption, reduction, and precipitation, and the contribution of adsorption was less. This work provides a new strategy for ZVI pre-corrosion to improve its longevity and enhance Cr(VI) removal. Full article

Red mud is an industrial solid waste rarely utilized and often disposed of in landfills, resulting in resource waste and environmental pollution. However, due to its high pH and abundance of iron and aluminum oxides and hydroxides, red mud has excellent adsorption properties which can effectively remove heavy metals through ion exchange, adsorption, and precipitation. Therefore, red mud is a valuable resource rather than a waste byproduct. In recent years, red mud has been increasingly studied for its potential in wastewater treatment and soil improvement. Red mud can effectively reduce the migration and impact of heavy metals in soils and water bodies. This paper reviews the research results from using red mud to mitigate cadmium pollution in water bodies and soils, discusses the environmental risks of red mud, and proposes key research directions for the future management of red mud in cadmium-contaminated environments. Full article

While gas nitriding of steel is currently used in industry, nitriding of aluminum alloys remains an open challenge. The main obstacle is aluminum’s high susceptibility to passivation. The oxide film provides an effective barrier to nitrogen diffusion. Attempts to overcome this problem have mainly focused on glow discharge nitriding using cathode sputtering of an oxide layer. The produced AlN layers exhibit no diffusion zone and show limited performance properties. In this work, the effect of hybrid treatment aimed at producing diffusion layers of nitrides other than AlN on aluminum alloys was investigated on the model system of iron nitride–aluminum substrate. Hybrid treatment combines an electrochemical process involving the removal of the aluminum oxide layer from the substrate, its subsequent iron plating, and a further gas nitriding in high-purity ammonia. The obtained results prove that the hybrid treatment allows the production, at 530 °C/10 h, of diffusion layers of Fe₃N iron nitrides on aluminum substrates with a nitrogen diffusion zone range in aluminum of ca. 12 µm. In alloys containing magnesium, its unfavorable effect on the nitrogen diffusion and the functional properties of the layers was observed. An interesting direction for further research is hybrid treatment of precipitation-hardened alloys without magnesium. Full article

Medium-alloy ductile iron with a SiMo ferritic matrix has very good heat resistance. The addition of chromium and aluminum also increases this resistance. This article presents the impact of chromium and aluminum on the structure of SiMo cast iron, especially their impact on the deformation of the spherical graphite precipitates and the formation of M₆C and M₃C₂ carbide phases. These carbides are formed in a ferritic matrix or at the grain boundaries, resulting in increased hardness and a drastic reduction in impact strength. The article presents the influence of heat treatment on the material’s microstructure and resistance to abrasive wear. Chromium and aluminum additions can also indirectly reduce the abrasive wear resistance of SiMo cast iron. The presented research shows the possibility of doubling the abrasive wear resistance of SiMo cast iron. Full article

This study investigates the synergistic effect and mechanism of gelling materials with blast furnace slag (BFS), steel slag (SS) and desulphurization gypsum (DG) as the main components on the hardening of heavy metal ions by lead and zinc tailings. It is found that lead and zinc tailing (LZT) is mainly composed of dolomite and quartz and contain small amounts of calcium, aluminum, iron, magnesium and other elements as well as heavy metals such as lead and zinc. By the mechanical activation method, it is found that the lead and zinc tailings powder has the largest specific surface area and the highest activity index when the ball milling time is 2 h. At a hardening timepoint of 28 d, the calcite crystals in the samples are intertwined with the amorphous C-S-H gel (C-S-H gels are mainly composed of 3CaO∙SiO₂ and 2CaO∙SiO₂), which enhances the structural strength of the samples. The chemical reaction analysis confirmed that the formation of calcite is a major driver for the hydration reaction of the steel slag–desulphurization gypsum (SSSDG) system. Overall, the slag, steel slag and desulphurization gypsum solid waste-based gelling materials have synergistic effects in hardening heavy metals by limiting the leaching of metal ions, adsorbing metal ions and hardening heavy metals, and facilitating the hydration process through the formation of compound salt precipitates. Full article

The Kolijan bauxite deposit (southeast Mahabad, northwestern Iran) mainly contains aluminum-bearing iron ores and was deposited in karstic depressions and sinkholes of the middle Permian carbonate rocks of the Ruteh Formation. Based on microscopic observations, the aluminum-bearing iron ores were allogenic in origin. According to XRD and SEM-EDS analyses, hematite and goethite are their main constituents, accompanied by lesser amounts of kaolinite, illite, amesite, boehmite, rutile, anatase, calcite, pyrolusite, crandallite, and parisite-(Ce). Chondrite-normalized REE patterns are indicative of fractionation and enrichment of LREE (La–Eu) compared to HREE (Gd–Lu), along with positive Eu and Ce anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 2.29–5.65; Ce/Ce* = 3.63–5.22). Positive Ce anomalies can be attributed to the role of carbonate bedrock as a geochemical barrier and the precipitation of parisite-(Ce). A strong positive correlation between Eu/Eu* and Ce/Ce* (r = 0.84) indicates that Eu anomalies, similar to Ce anomalies, are closely dependent on an alkaline pH. The distribution and fractionation of elements in the iron ores were controlled by a number of factors, including the pH of the environment in which they formed, wet climatic conditions, adsorption, isomorphic substitution, scavenging, co-precipitation, fluctuations of the groundwater table level, and the role of carbonate bedrock as a geochemical barrier. This research indicates that the aluminum-bearing iron ores were probably generated from the weathering of basaltic protolith. Full article

The modeling of metal concentrations in large rivers is complex because the contributing factors are numerous, namely, the variation in metal sources across spatiotemporal domains. By considering both domains, this study modeled metal concentrations derived from the interaction of river water and sediments of contrasting grain size and chemical composition, in regions of contrasting seasonal precipitation. Statistical methods assessed the processes of metal partitioning and transport, while artificial intelligence methods structured the dataset to predict the evolution of metal concentrations as a function of environmental changes. The methodology was applied to the Paraopeba River (Brazil), divided into sectors of coarse aluminum-rich natural sediments and sectors enriched in fine iron- and manganese-rich mine tailings, after the collapse of the B1 dam in Brumadinho, with 85–90% rainfall occurring from October to March. The prediction capacity of the random forest regressor was large for aluminum, iron and manganese concentrations, with average precision > 90% and accuracy < 0.2. Full article

The aging precipitation behavior of 6061 aluminum alloy that underwent iron casting and water-cooled copper casting and 6061 aluminum with Mn and Zr elements added was studied. Firstly, the hardness curves, tensile properties, and fracture morphology of four aging alloys—6061 (iron mold casting), 6061 (water-cooled copper mold casting), 6061-0.15Mn-0.05Zr (iron mold casting), and 6061-0.15Mn-0.05Zr (water-cooled copper mold casting)—were studied. The results of the aging hardness curve show that the aging precipitated phase of the 6061 alloy cast with a water-cooled copper mold is dispersed. The addition of Mn increases the amount of coarse inclusion α-(AlMnFeSi) in the alloy, resulting in a decrease in the age hardening property. The addition of Zr is related to the nucleation and growth of the G.P. region in the early aging period, mainly changing the formation rate and quantity of the G.P. region, leading to the advancement of peak aging and an increase in hardness. After the G.P. region gradually transforms into the β phase, the hardness of the alloy increases with the increase in the volume fraction of the β phase. When the β″ phase is coarsened to the point where the fault line can be bypassed, the transitional metastable β′ phase begins to precipitate, and the coherent distortion around it weakens, indicating over-aging. Finally, the equilibrium phase Mg₂Si is formed. The results of the tensile tests indicate that the tensile strength and yield strength of the 6061-0.15Mn-0.05Zr alloy produced by water-cooled copper casting after aging are 356 Mpa and 230 Mpa, respectively. These values are 80 MPa and 75 MPa higher, respectively, than those of the 6061 aluminum alloy produced via iron casting. However, the elongation is by 5%. The fracture morphology of the tensile sample of the aging alloy shows that dislocation slip in the alloy results in dislocation plugging, stress concentration, and the initiation of crack cleavage on the surface. The fracture of the water-cooled copper mold-casting alloy is a ductile fracture of the microporous aggregation type, and the macroscopic fracture exhibits an obvious “neck shrinkage” phenomenon. The fracture analysis is consistent with the mechanical properties. The DSC curve shows that there is no enrichment process of solute atoms during the heating process, and the aging precipitation process after homogenization is as follows: G.P. zone → β″ phase → β′ phase. The aging precipitation process of the water-cooled copper casting alloy after homogenization treatment is as follows: β″ phase → β′ phase (no precipitation in the G.P. zone was observed). The results of the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis show that the main strengthening phase in the experimental alloy system is the β″ phase. The activation energies for the β″ phase precipitation were calculated and found to be 147 KJ/mol, 217 KJ/mol, 185 KJ/mol, and 235 KJ/mol, respectively. Additionally, a kinetic equation for the β″ phase precipitation during alloy aging was fitted. Full article

A comparative study of the physicochemical properties of natural bentonite clays of Pogodayevo (Republic of Kazakhstan, mod. 1) and Dash-Salakhli (Republic of Azerbaijan, mod. 2) deposits and modification of the bentonite clay with polyhydroxocations of iron (III) and aluminium (III). The amount of bentonite in the concentration of iron (aluminum) was 5 mmol Me³⁺/g. It was established that the modification of natural bentonites using polyhydroxocations of iron (III) (mod. 1_Fe_5-c, mod. 2_Fe_5-c) and aluminum (III) (mod. 1_Al_5-c, mod. 2_Al_5-c) by the method of “co-precipitation” leads to a change in their chemical composition, structural and sorption properties. The results showed that hydroxy-aluminum cations ([Al₃O₄(OH)₂₄(H₂O)₁₂]⁷⁺) and poly-hydroxyl-Fe or polyoxo-Fe were intercalated into clay layers, which led to an increase in the values of d₀₀₁ and specific surface areas compared to those of the original bentonite, from 37 to 120 m²/g for the Pogodaevo bentonite and from 51 to 172 m²/g respectively, for bentonite from the Dash-Salakhli deposit. It is shown that modified sorbents based on natural bentonite are finely porous objects with a predominance of pores of 1.5–8.0 nm in size. As a result, there is a significant increase in the specific surface area of sorbents. Modification of bentonite with polyhydroxocations of iron (III) and aluminum (III) by the “co-precipitation” method also leads to an increase in the sorption capacity of the sorbents obtained with respect to nickel (II) cations. Modified bentonites were used for the adsorption of Ni (II) ions from the model solution. Ni (II) was absorbed in a neutral pH solution. The study of equilibrium adsorption showed that the data are in good agreement with the Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity of the Ni (II) obtained from the Langmuir equation was 25.0 mg/g (mod. 1_Al_5-c), 18.2 mg/g (mod. 2_Al_5-c) for Al-bentonite and 16.7 mg/g (mod. 1_Fe_5-c), 10.1 (mod. 2_Fe_5-c) for Fe-bentonite. The kinetics of adsorption is considered. The high content of Al-OH anion exchange centers in them determines the higher sorption activity of Al-modified bentonites. Full article

In recent years, promising developments in the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of sewage sludge, as well as the potential to reclaim phosphorus and nitrogen, have emerged. In this study, the HTC of digested sewage sludge (DSS) was investigated for the downstream production of heavy metal (HM)-free fertilizer and the use of freeze concentration (FC) as a novel technology for process water treatment. To obtain clean fertilizer, phosphatic acid extracts were first treated with ion-exchange resins to remove dissolved HM, as well as phosphorus precipitating agents (i.e., aluminum and iron). Over 98% of the aluminum (Al) and 97% of the iron (Fe) could be removed in a single treatment step. The purified extract was then used for the precipitation of HM-free struvite crystals, with P-recovery rates exceeding 89%. Process water (PW) makes up the largest share of the two main HTC-products (i.e., hydrochar and PW) and is very rich in organic compounds. Compared to evaporation or membrane separation, FC is a promising technology for concentrating solutes from PW. Separation experiments resulted in the recovery of over 90% of the dissolved compounds in the concentrate. In our study, the concentrate was later utilized as an ammonium source for struvite precipitation, and the subsequent aerobic digestion of the remaining ice water resulted in an 85% reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) in 15 days. Full article