Filtering the unfilterable: tuning the mesostructure of precipitating silica gels to improve the filterability of acidic lixiviation slurries
Silica precipitation is a ubiquitous but deleterious phenomenon occurring in many hydrometallurgical processes. Indeed, silicon is often released during the dissolution of minerals under acidic leaching conditions. Eventually, it precipitates into a hard-to-filter silica gel, which has prompted some...
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Académie des sciences
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Comptes Rendus. Chimie |
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| Online Access: | https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/chimie/articles/10.5802/crchim.347/ |
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| author | Manfoumbi, Christian Roger, Kevin Meireles, Martine |
| author_facet | Manfoumbi, Christian Roger, Kevin Meireles, Martine |
| author_sort | Manfoumbi, Christian |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Silica precipitation is a ubiquitous but deleterious phenomenon occurring in many hydrometallurgical processes. Indeed, silicon is often released during the dissolution of minerals under acidic leaching conditions. Eventually, it precipitates into a hard-to-filter silica gel, which has prompted some efforts to hinder silica precipitation through pretreatment or extra dilution. However, these approaches are usually either mineral-specific or costly. Here, we propose a disruptive strategy based on controlling the gel’s mesostructure and therefore its filterability. We designed an alternative precipitation pathway consisting of adding extra silicate ions but at basic pH. Using small-angle X-ray scattering, we show that this pathway transforms the network of polymeric silica (“polymer gel”) obtained under highly acidic leaching conditions into a network of dense silica particles (“particle gel”). This structural compaction at the mesoscopic length scale cascades to the macroscale and leads to a drastic improvement in filterability by two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this method is generic by applying it successfully to both a model and real ore systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-72bed9b6df704613915e19a80e11ad08 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1878-1543 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Académie des sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Comptes Rendus. Chimie |
| spelling | doaj-art-72bed9b6df704613915e19a80e11ad082025-02-07T13:41:02ZengAcadémie des sciencesComptes Rendus. Chimie1878-15432024-12-0111210.5802/crchim.34710.5802/crchim.347Filtering the unfilterable: tuning the mesostructure of precipitating silica gels to improve the filterability of acidic lixiviation slurriesManfoumbi, Christian0Roger, Kevin1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7914-0951Meireles, Martine2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2112-0936Laboratoire de Génie Chimique, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, 31432, FranceLaboratoire de Génie Chimique, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, 31432, FranceLaboratoire de Génie Chimique, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, 31432, FranceSilica precipitation is a ubiquitous but deleterious phenomenon occurring in many hydrometallurgical processes. Indeed, silicon is often released during the dissolution of minerals under acidic leaching conditions. Eventually, it precipitates into a hard-to-filter silica gel, which has prompted some efforts to hinder silica precipitation through pretreatment or extra dilution. However, these approaches are usually either mineral-specific or costly. Here, we propose a disruptive strategy based on controlling the gel’s mesostructure and therefore its filterability. We designed an alternative precipitation pathway consisting of adding extra silicate ions but at basic pH. Using small-angle X-ray scattering, we show that this pathway transforms the network of polymeric silica (“polymer gel”) obtained under highly acidic leaching conditions into a network of dense silica particles (“particle gel”). This structural compaction at the mesoscopic length scale cascades to the macroscale and leads to a drastic improvement in filterability by two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this method is generic by applying it successfully to both a model and real ore systems.https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/chimie/articles/10.5802/crchim.347/LixiviationSilicaPrecipitationMesostructureFilterability |
| spellingShingle | Manfoumbi, Christian Roger, Kevin Meireles, Martine Filtering the unfilterable: tuning the mesostructure of precipitating silica gels to improve the filterability of acidic lixiviation slurries Comptes Rendus. Chimie Lixiviation Silica Precipitation Mesostructure Filterability |
| title | Filtering the unfilterable: tuning the mesostructure of precipitating silica gels to improve the filterability of acidic lixiviation slurries |
| title_full | Filtering the unfilterable: tuning the mesostructure of precipitating silica gels to improve the filterability of acidic lixiviation slurries |
| title_fullStr | Filtering the unfilterable: tuning the mesostructure of precipitating silica gels to improve the filterability of acidic lixiviation slurries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Filtering the unfilterable: tuning the mesostructure of precipitating silica gels to improve the filterability of acidic lixiviation slurries |
| title_short | Filtering the unfilterable: tuning the mesostructure of precipitating silica gels to improve the filterability of acidic lixiviation slurries |
| title_sort | filtering the unfilterable tuning the mesostructure of precipitating silica gels to improve the filterability of acidic lixiviation slurries |
| topic | Lixiviation Silica Precipitation Mesostructure Filterability |
| url | https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/chimie/articles/10.5802/crchim.347/ |
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