Acid mine drainage is a widespread environmental problem that associated with mining operations in the past. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy, and atomic absorption spectrometry were used for the water chemistry, and mineralogy of metal precipitates from acidic water. pH played a very important role in the removal of the contaminants such as metal-hydroxide in acid mine drainage. Selective recovery of metal from acid mine drainage is possible due to different solubility product of each metal with changes of pH value. Most of precipitates in acid mine drainage are hydroxide or oxide form such as Fe, Al, Zn, Cu and Mn. Fe begins to precipitate at pH 3.0 and coprecipitation with Al at pH 6.0. Cu and Zn precipitation was complete at pH 8,0 and 9.0, respectively. Zn did not precipitate during Cu removal. Mn precipitation that shows black color was complete at pH 10,0 but it changes dark brown at pH 11.0. Fe recovery efficiency varied between 90 and 98% at pH 4.0. Recovery of Cu, Zn and Mn are over 90% at pH 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0, respectively. The selective recovery of Fe and Al is possible by remelting methods after coprecipitation of the metal at pH 6.0. The metal recovery rate decreased with high initial concentration. The minerals of precipitates that related Fe in acid mine are Goethite, schwertmannite, ferrihydrite.

Recovery efficiency of dissolved metal in acid mine drainage

248th National Meeting (2014)

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