Novel coprecipitation–oxidation method for recovering iron from steel waste pickling liquor

Abstract

Coprecipitation–oxidation method was developed to recover the iron from wastewater.

Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were well synthesized from steel waste pickling liquor.

Promoters greatly improved the properties of synthesized Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle.

Real-time control of the Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ molar ratio was achieved by ORP monitoring.

Waste pickling liquors (WPLs) containing high concentrations of iron and acid are hazardous waste products from the steel pickling processes. A novel combined coprecipitation–oxidation method for iron recovery by Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle production from the WPLs was developed in this study. An oxidation–reduction potential monitoring method was developed for real-time control of the Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ molar ratio. The key coprecipitation–oxidation parameters were determined using the orthogonal experimental design method. The use of promoters greatly improved the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle crystallinity, size, magnetization, and dispersion. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the produced Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were single phase. The Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were approximately spherical and slightly agglomerated. Vibrating sample magnetometry showed that the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles produced from the WPLs had good magnetic properties, with a saturation magnetization of 80.206 emu·g⁻¹ and a remanence of 10.500 emu·g⁻¹. The results show that this novel coprecipitation–oxidation method has great potential for recycling iron in WPLs.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Waste pickling liquor / Coprecipitation–oxidation / Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles / Oxidation–reduction potential / Promoter

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