Use of iron ore tailing from tailing dam as catalyst in a fenton-like process for methylene blue oxidation in continuous flow mode

Abstract

The global demand for iron ore with high iron contents to supply the steel industry is associated, in most countries, with the generation of tailings from mineral processing. The chemical compositions of iron ore tailings (basically Fe₂O₃ and SiO₂) make them an excellent candidate as a catalyst for advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), especially the Fenton process and its derivatives. Therefore, this paper aimed to transform iron ore tailings from tailing dams into catalysts able to activate H₂O₂ for the purpose of treating, in a continuous flow, effluents contaminated with organic dyes, employing methylene blue as a model molecule. The mineralogical characteristics of in natura tailings, such as the associations between iron oxides and quartz and the particle sizes of iron oxides, are favourable points for their transformation into catalysts by Fenton-like processes. Different pellet geometries and binding agents were evaluated to optimize the dye removal. Pellet pretreatment in a CH₄ atmosphere at 550 °C for 2 h with 10% bentonite as a binding agent (RCSP sample) resulted in the removal of approximately 80% of dye. Kinetic removal data show the good stability of the catalyst in the flow system. Significant catalytic activity loss was not observed after four runs, and data from TG-MS indicate that there is a synergetic mechanism between the adsorption, radical attack and desorption processes of the substrate on the catalyst surface.

Keywords: Catalyser; Fenton-like process; Iron ore tailings; Tailing dams; Wastewater treatment.