Abstract
Hydrocalumite (Ca2Al(OH)6Cl.2H2O) was synthesized and calcined at different temperatures to evaluate its application as a precipitating agent for sulfate removal. At a precipitating agent dosage of 2 g L−1, the greatest sulfate removal was 64.8 ± 4.0% in 120 min of reaction with the hydrocalumite calcined at 100 °C. Anion removals of 90–100% were achieved by increasing the precipitating agent dosage, using an initial concentration close to 950 mg (SO4−2) L−1 in all tests. The sludge produced in the sulfate precipitation process using hydrocalumite calcined at 100 °C was heat treated and reused as precipitating agent on sulfate removal process to determine the number of possible cycles to work with the studied material. The solid samples obtained were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy coupled with dispersive energy spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Along with characterizing the samples, hydrocalumite synthesis was confirmed, since the collapse of the layered double hydroxide’s structure was observed at 400 °C and sulfate precipitation by the formation of ettringite and gypsum. The reuse of the thermally treated sludge was not feasible due to the great reduction in the sulfate removal, since only two cycles of treatment and reuse were possible. A new route of precipitation of sulfate present in aqueous media was revealed in this study, which presented a strong potential for application in the treatment of industrial effluents, since it is simple, fast and efficient.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo–FAPES (Edital FAPES/CAPES Nº 01/2018-PROCAP-MESTRADO) for the master degree scholarship that was granted to Dantara Freires Santana, and the analysis performed by Laboratory of Chemical Engineering I (UV-Vis, XRD and Thermal Analysis), Analytical Central II (FTIR) and Laboratory of Cellular Ultrastructure Carlos Alberto Redins (SEM-EDS), all located at Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo.
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Santana, D.F., de Melo, E.C.R., Pessanha, M.L.G.S. et al. Removal of sulfate ions from aqueous solutions by precipitation using calcined hydrocalumite as a precipitating agent. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 20, 3801–3814 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-022-04220-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-022-04220-w