Polymeric and inorganic sorbents as a green option to recover critical raw materials at trace levels from sea saltwork bitterns

Abstract

Saltwork brines could become a sustainable unknown source of strategic raw materials if selective sorbents are used.

Sustainable recovery of critical elements from seawater saltworks bitterns by integration of high selective sorbents and reactive precipitation and crystallisation: Developing the probe of concept with on-site produced chemicals and energy

“…These scenarios were postulated under the results developed in a large screening study, where 30 ion exchange resins were evaluated with the different streams to be generated in the SEArcularMINE recovery concept, as it was described in a previous study of some co-authors [31].…”

“…Within the SEArcularMINE project scope, the bittern resulting from saltworks is treated via ion exchange to selectively extract TEs that are recovered subsequently in dedicated crystallisation units. The selective or quasi-selective separation of the target groups of elements has been previously developed in a separate study [31]. Fig.…”

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

“…11 The viable salt recovery technologies for recovering added-value components (salts) from these concentrated brines are still limited, and, in most cases, these mixed salt solutions/brines are rejected in the sea or other water bodies. 12 Variation in the solubility behavior of metal salts (Na + , K + , and Mg 2+ ) of chloride (Cl − ) and sulfate (SO 4 2−…”

“…The concentrated aqueous solution of these metal salts is generated as byproducts from solar salt production (∼10 million m 3 /year), desalination, and inorganic chemical processes . The viable salt recovery technologies for recovering added-value components (salts) from these concentrated brines are still limited, and, in most cases, these mixed salt solutions/brines are rejected in the sea or other water bodies …”