Mining minerals and critical raw materials from bittern: Understanding metal ions fate in saltwork ponds

Vicari, F.; Randazzo, S.; López, J.; Labastida, Marc Fernández de; Vallès, V.; Micale, G.; Tamburini, Alessandro; Staiti, G. DʼAlí; Cortina, José Luis; Cipollina, Andrea

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157544

Cited by 15 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…These small recovery differences may be attributed to the different nature of the employed bitterns that contain many other chemical compounds which may interfere with Mg(OH) 2 precipitation. A detailed characterization of the minor and major elements in the bitterns of the Trapani saltworks was presented by Vicari et al [43].…”

Section: Influence Of the Naoh/bittern Flow Rate Ratiomentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the Purity of Magnesium Hydroxide Recovered from Saltwork Bitterns

Battaglia

Domina

Brutto

et al. 2022

Water

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Magnesium has been listed among the 30 critical raw materials by the European Union. In recent years, many green and sustainable alternative Mg2+ sources have been sought to satisfy the EU’s demand and to avoid mineral ore consumption. In this context, saltwork bitterns, the by-products of solar sea salt production, have attracted much attention thanks to their high Mg2+ concentrations (up to 80 g/L) and low Ca2+ and bicarbonate contents (<0.5 g/L). Although investigations on Mg2+ extraction from bitterns in the form of Mg(OH)2(s) have already been performed, product purity has never been properly addressed. Mg(OH)2(s) is a chemical compound of great interest and extensive utility in numerous industrial applications only if the powder’s purity is >95% (w/w). This work presents a comprehensive experimental effort of reactive precipitation tests with NaOH solutions at stoichiometric and over-stoichiometric concentrations to: (i) assess the technical feasibility of Mg2+ recovery from real bitterns collected in saltworks of the Trapani district (Italy) and, (ii) for the first time, conduct an extensive purity investigation of the precipitated magnesium hydroxide powders as brucite. This experimental investigation demonstrates the possibility of extracting highly valuable compounds from saltwork bittern waste, embracing the water valorization and resource recovery approach.

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Section: Influence Of the Naoh/bittern Flow Rate Ratiomentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the Purity of Magnesium Hydroxide Recovered from Saltwork Bitterns

Battaglia

Domina

Brutto

et al. 2022

Water

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“…While a simple crystallization process with high yield and purity was demonstrated, the basis for the selection of methanol was not discussed. A recent study on mining minerals from bitterns using evaporative crystallization has shown the formation of mixed salts and minerals due to coprecipitation of multiple components . Cooling crystallization is limited to the inorganic salts having strong temperature-dependent solubilities, and the selectivity between salts depends on their relative solubility curves.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent study on mining minerals from bitterns using evaporative crystallization has shown the formation of mixed salts and minerals due to coprecipitation of multiple components. 9 Cooling crystallization is limited to the inorganic salts having strong temperature-dependent solubilities, and the selectivity between salts depends on their relative solubility curves. In this context, antisolvent crystallization (ASC) using green solvents and subjected to optimum antisolvent recovery can be a potential alternative for fine-tuning the different solubilities and allowing selective component recovery from a solution.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Process Design Framework for Inorganic Salt Recovery Using Antisolvent Crystallization (ASC)

Sahu,

Gao,

Bhatti

et al. 2023

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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Antisolvent crystallization (ASC) can be an alternative separation strategy over evaporative or cooling crystallization for selective salt recovery from aqueous salt mixtures. While a large amount of literature has been focused on phase equilibrium data generation, the implication of phase behavior on antisolvent selection and process performance has not been adequately discussed. This work aims to develop a methodical framework combining solubility behavior, phase balance, antisolvent selection, and solvent recovery to design sustainable ASC processes for the selective isolation of salts from aqueous solutions. The methodology was tested for the application of ASC to separate sodium sulfate from sodium chloride, as those mixtures generate as saline effluent from salt-harvesting activities. Technoeconomic feasibility, sustainability, and life cycle analysis of the proposed ASC process were performed to establish its potential toward commercialization. Several environmental impact categories were analyzed on the ASC process with antisolvent recovery, direct disposal, and incineration, comparing their performance and highlighting the overall sustainability. The presented process design framework will guide early feasibility studies considering ASC for inorganic salt separation and purification from saline effluents.

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“…As an example, the efforts by the EU in promoting circular approaches, the recovery of raw materials, and/or the production of chemicals in the case of the project creating a sustainable circular approach to mineral extraction, SEArcularMINE (Figure 1) [9]. Specifically, the SEArcularMINE project aims to use an innovative circular approach to valorise bitterns from saltworks to extract CRMs, such as magnesium [10], lithium [11,12], and other elements [13]. As the SEArcularMINE project is based on a fully circular concept, the reactants needed for their processes must be produced in situ.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An EDBM unit is composed of a stack of repeating units, namely triplets, which are made up of three channels (i.e., acid, alkaline, and salt), a monopolar CEM, a monopolar AEM, and a BPM as illustrated in Figure 2. During operation, when a direct electric cur- Specifically, the SEArcularMINE project aims to use an innovative circular approach to valorise bitterns from saltworks to extract CRMs, such as magnesium [10], lithium [11,12], and other elements [13]. As the SEArcularMINE project is based on a fully circular concept, the reactants needed for their processes must be produced in situ.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrodialysis with Bipolar Membranes for the Generation of NaOH and HCl Solutions from Brines: An Inter-Laboratory Evaluation of Thin and Ultrathin Non-Woven Cloth-Based Ion-Exchange Membranes

et al. 2022

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The SEArcularMINE project aims to recover critical raw materials (CRMs) from brines from saltworks, thus facing a CRM shortage within Europe. To promote a fully circular scheme, the project valorises concentrated brines using electrodialysis with bipolar membranes (EDBM) to generate the required amounts of reactants (i.e., acids and bases). Regarding the performances of new non-woven cloth ion-exchange membranes (Suez): (i) an ultra-thin non-woven polyester cloth and (ii) a thin polypropylene cloth acting as the support structures were assessed. Additionally, the anion layer includes a catalyst to promote the water dissociation reaction. The effect of current density (100, 200, and 300 A m−2) on the performance of two combinations of membranes in an inter-laboratory exercise using 2 M NaCl was evaluated. According to statistical analysis ANOVA, there was an agreement on the results obtained in both laboratories. NaOH/HCl solutions up to 0.8 M were generated working at 300 A m−2 using both combinations of membranes. Regarding the performance parameters, stack set-ups incorporating thin polypropylene membranes showed lower specific energy consumption (SEC) and higher specific productivity (SP) than ultra-thin polypropylene ones. Hence, for ultra-thin polypropylene membranes, SEC was reported to be between 2.18 and 1.69 kWh kg−1NaOH and SP between 974 and 314 kg m−2 y−1.

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Mining minerals and critical raw materials from bittern: Understanding metal ions fate in saltwork ponds

Cited by 15 publications

References 37 publications

Evaluation of the Purity of Magnesium Hydroxide Recovered from Saltwork Bitterns

Evaluation of the Purity of Magnesium Hydroxide Recovered from Saltwork Bitterns

Process Design Framework for Inorganic Salt Recovery Using Antisolvent Crystallization (ASC)

Electrodialysis with Bipolar Membranes for the Generation of NaOH and HCl Solutions from Brines: An Inter-Laboratory Evaluation of Thin and Ultrathin Non-Woven Cloth-Based Ion-Exchange Membranes

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