Reductive leaching of indium from the neutral leaching residue using oxalic acid in sulfuric acid solution

Abstract

The present study evaluates the reductive leaching of indium from indium-bearing zinc ferrite using oxalic acid as a reducer in sulfuric acid solution. The effect of main factors affecting the process rate, including the oxalic-acid-to-sulfuric-acid ratio, stirring rate, grain size, temperature, and the initial concentration of synergic acid, was precisely evaluated. The results confirmed the acceptable efficiency of dissolving indium in the presence of oxalic acid. The shrinking-core model with a chemical-reaction-controlled step can correctly describe the kinetics of indium dissolution. On the basis of an apparent activation energy of 44.55 kJ/mol and a reaction order with respect to the acid concentration of 1.14, the presence of oxalic acid was found to reduce the sensitivity to temperature changes and to increase the effect of changes in acid concentration. Finally, the equation of the kinetic model based on the factors under study is presented.

Keywords

oxalic acid / reductive leaching / indium

References

[1] Alfantazi AM, Moskalyk RR. Processing of indium: A review. Miner. Eng., 2003, 16(8): 687.

[2] Pradhan D, Panda S, Sukla LB. Recent advances in indium metallurgy: A review. Miner. Process. Extr. Metall. Rev., 2018, 39(3): 167.

[3] Rao BP, Rao KH. Distribution of In³⁺ ions in indium-substituted Ni-Zn-Ti ferrites. J. Magn. Magn. Mater., 2005, 292, 44.

[4] Langová Š, Leško J, Matýsek D. Selective leaching of zinc from zinc ferrite with hydrochloric acid. Hydrometallurgy, 2009, 95(3–4): 179.

[5] Li XH, Zhang YJ, Qin QL, Yang J, Wei YS. Indium recovery from zinc oxide flue dust by oxidative pressure leaching. Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China, 2010, 20(Suppl. 1): s141.

[6] Zhang LY, Mo JM, Li XH, Pan LP, Liang XY, Wei GT. A kinetic study of indium leaching from indium-bearing zinc ferrite under microwave heating. Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 2013, 44(6): 1329.

[7] Zhang LY, Li XH, Sun Y, Huang XC, Liu XB, Yang JF. Microwave enhanced acid leaching of indium from zinc leaching residues containing indium-bearing zinc ferrite. Met. Mine, 2014, 3, 36.

[8] X.H. Li, J.Q. Xu, and L. Pan, A new mechanical activation technology to enhance leaching indium from hard-zinc, Front. Sep. Sci. Technol., (2004), p. 980.

[9] Zhang YJ, Li XH, Pan LP, Wei YS, Liang XY. Effect of mechanical activation on the kinetics of extracting indium from indium-bearing zinc ferrite. Hydrometallurgy, 2010, 102(1–4): 95.

[10] Yao JH, Li XH, Li YW. Study on indium leaching from mechanically activated hard zinc residue. J. Min. Metall. Sect. B, 2011, 47(1): 63.

[11] Yao JH, Li XH, Pan LP, Mo JM, Wen ZP. Investigations on indium and zinc leachabilities from indium-bearing zinc ferrite improved by planetary ball milling. J. Mater. Eng. Perform., 2013, 22(5): 1311.

[12] Yao JH, Li XH. Study on indium leaching from indium-poor zinc residue enhanced by ultrasonic treatment. Adv. Mater. Res., 2011, 201–203, 1770.

[13] Fortes MCB, Benedetto JS. Separation of indium and iron by solvent extraction. Miner. Eng., 1998, 11(5): 447.

[14] Xing P, Ma BZ, Zeng P, Wang CY, Wang L, Zhang YL, Chen YQ, Wang S, Wang QY. Deep cleaning of a metallurgical zinc leaching residue and recovery of valuable metals. Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 2017, 24(11): 1217.

[15] Lee SO, Tran T, Park YY, Kim SJ, Kim MJ. Study on the kinetics of iron oxide leaching by oxalic acid. Int. J. Miner. Process., 2006, 80(2–4): 144.

[16] Deng ZG, Zhang F, Wei C, Li CX, Li XB, Fan G, Li MT. Alam S, Kim H, Neelameggham NR, Ouchi T, Oosterho H. Acid leaching zinc and indium with reduction ferric simultaneously from marmatite and high-iron neutral leaching residue. Rare Metal Technology, 2016, Germany, Springer Cham, 55.

[17] Zhang F, Wei C, Deng ZG, Li XB, Li CX, Li MT. Reductive leaching of indium-bearing zinc residue in sulfuric acid using sphalerite concentrate as reductant. Hydrometallurgy, 2016, 161, 102.

[18] Zhang F, Wei C, Deng ZG, Li CX, Li XB, Li MT. Reductive leaching of zinc and indium from industrial zinc ferrite particulates in sulphuric acid media. Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China, 2016, 26(9): 2495.

[19] Ambikadevi VR, Lalithambika M. Effect of organic acids on ferric iron removal from iron-stained kaolinite. Appl. Clay Sci., 2000, 16(3–4): 133.

[20] Felipe LG, Eleazar SR, Leticia HC, Roman AHH, Eduardo CS. Kinetics study of iron leaching from kaolinitic clay using oxalic acid. Eur. Sci. J., 2015, 11(12): 12.

[21] Sultana UK, Kurny ASW. Dissolution kinetics of iron oxides in clay in oxalic acid solutions. Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 2012, 19(12): 1083.

[22] Parida KM, Das NN. Reductive dissolution of hematite in hydrochloric acid medium by some inorganic and organic reductants: A comparative study. Indian J. Eng. Mater. Sci., 1996, 3(6): 243.

[23] Sahoo RN, Naik PK, Das SC. Leaching of manganese from low-grade manganese ore using oxalic acid as reductant in sulphuric acid solution. Hydrometallurgy, 2001, 62(3): 157.

[24] Prasad Das A, Swain S, Panda S, Pradhan N, Sukla LB. Reductive acid leaching of low grade manganese ores. Geomaterials, 2012, 2(4): 70.

[25] Nayl AA, Aly HF. Acid leaching of ilmenite decomposed by KOH. Hydrometallurgy, 2009, 97(1–2): 86.

[26] Nayl AA, Awwad NS, Aly HF. Kinetics of acid leaching of ilmenite decomposed by KOH: Part 2. Leaching by H₂SO₄ and C₂H₂O₄. J. Hazard. Mater., 2009, 168(2–3): 793.

[27] Jonglertjunya W, Rattanaphan S, Tipsak P. Kinetics of the dissolution of ilmenite in oxalic and sulfuric acid solutions. Asia-Pac. J. Chem. Eng., 2014, 9(1): 24.

[28] Zürner P, Frisch G. Leaching, and selective extraction of indium and tin from zinc flue dust using an oxalic acid-based deep eutectic solvent. ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng., 2019, 7(5): 5300.

[29] Cui JY, Zhu NW, Luo DL, Li Y, Wu PX, Dang Z, Hu X. The role of oxalic acid in the leaching system for recovering indium from waste liquid crystal display panels. ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng., 2019, 7(4): 3849.

[30] Panias D, Taxiarchou M, Paspaliaris I, Kontopoulos A. Mechanisms of dissolution of iron oxides in aqueous oxalic acid solutions. Hydrometallurgy, 1996, 42(2): 257.

[31] Taxiarchou M, Panias D, Douni I, Paspaliaris I, Kontopoulos A. Dissolution of hematite in acidic oxalate solutions. Hydrometallurgy, 1997, 44(3): 287.

[32] Salmimies R, Mannila M, Kallas J, Häkkinen A. Acidic dissolution of magnetite: Experimental study on the effects of acid concentration and temperature. Clays and Clay Miner., 2011, 59(2): 136.

[33] Wiley J, Hepburn K, Levenspiel O. Chemical Reaction Engineering, 1999, 3rd ed., New York, Wiley

[34] Zhang YJ, Li XH, Pan LP, Liang XY, Li XP. Studies on the kinetics of zinc and indium extraction from indium-bearing zinc ferrite. Hydrometallurgy, 2010, 100(3–4): 172.

[35] Tian L, Liu Y, Zhang TA, Lv GZ, Zhou S, Zhang GQ. Kinetics of indium dissolution from marmatite with high indium content in pressure acid leaching. Rare Met., 2017, 36(1): 69.