In this work, the salicylic acid-pretreated artificial converter slag—an end product of the steel-making process that contains rich Fe and Ca—was first successfully utilized for in-situ fabrication of Fe(III)-doped HAp using a modified hydrothermal reaction. Structure, morphology, chemical composition, and photoelectrochemical properties were investigated experimentally and theoretically. It focused on the synergistic effects of the dopants (Fe(III) ions) and oxygen vacancies (OVs) on Fe(III)-doped HAp to understand the mechanism. The DFT calculation was carried out to predict the effects of the Fe(III) doping and OVs on the photochemical properties of Fe(III)-doped HAp theoretically, revealing that Fe(III) occupying the Ca atom locations that were adjacent to the OVs could form similar band gaps to those of the experiments. Further, it was demonstrated experimentally that the intermediary energy levels generated by OVs and Fe(III) were responsible for greater visible-light absorption and excellent separation of photo-generated carriers, enhancing photocatalytic performance. In a simulated mineral processing effluent, super oxygen radicals and holes were dominant photoactive species in xanthate oxidation, while photo-produced electrons were effective in Cr (VI) reduction. Our work enabled Fe(III)-doped HAp with OVs to be synthesized from Fe and Ca-enriched converter slag using a viable approach for mineral processing wastewater treatment, which had significant potential in both steel-making byproduct utilization and real industrial wastewater treatment. Overall, it is shown that the proposed photocatalyst will provide promising possibilities for the efficient recycling of mine wastewater and steel-making byproduct utilization, which are both relevant to environmental protection.

<i>In situ</i> hydrothermal synthesis of Fe-doped hydroxyapatite photocatalyst derived from converter slag toward wastewater treatment from mineral processing under visible-light irradiation

Where thousands of chemistry professionals meet to share ideas and advance scientific and technical knowledge. Spring 2023 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch at the end of March.

ACS Spring 2023

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.

In situ hydrothermal synthesis of Fe-doped hydroxyapatite photocatalyst derived from converter slag toward wastewater treatment from mineral processing under visible-light irradiation