METALS
REMOVAL FROM ACID MINE DRAINAGE BY ION EXCHANGE
Mine Environment Neutral Drainage at CANMET-MMSL |
MEND Project
3.21.1b
April 1995
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
The extraction
of Sb, Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn from acid mine drainage solutions using
various ion exchangers was studied with batch and column tests.
The extraction was studied at low pH, at mildly acidic pH and at
neutral pH. The interference caused by the presence of Al, Ca, Mg
and Fe was monitored.
It was found
that most commercial ion exchangers do not exhibit a marked selectivity
for the metals of interest. Consequently, the co-extraction of iron
is a major obstacle for the application of ion exchange to acid
mine drainage solutions. The selectivity did not improve significantly
when Fe(III) was reduced to Fe(II). The co-extraction of calcium
becomes a problem at higher pH when lime is used to neutralize the
solution. The most promising results were obtained with copper and
antimony, which were amenable to extraction even at low pH.
While the selective
extraction of Cd, Ni or Zn was not feasible under most conditions,
the simultaneous extraction of all three metals can be done at neutral
pH using either a chelating resin or a synthetic zeolite. This fact
could be used to reduce the amount of lime that is normally added
to ensure the complete precipitation of metals.
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