Electrochemical recovery of cobalt using nanoparticles film of copper hexacyanoferrates from aqueous solution

Xinxin Long; Rongzhi Chen; Jihua Tan; Yifeng Lu; Jixiang Wang; Tijun Huang; Qin Lei

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121252

Electrochemical recovery of cobalt using nanoparticles film of copper hexacyanoferrates from aqueous solution

J Hazard Mater. 2020 Feb 15:384:121252. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121252. Epub 2019 Sep 18.

Authors

Xinxin Long¹, Rongzhi Chen², Jihua Tan³, Yifeng Lu⁴, Jixiang Wang¹, Tijun Huang⁴, Qin Lei¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road 19A, Beijing, 100049, China.
² College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road 19A, Beijing, 100049, China. Electronic address: crz0718@ucas.ac.cn.
³ College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road 19A, Beijing, 100049, China. Electronic address: tanjh@ucas.ac.cn.
⁴ School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, East Outer Ring Road, Kunming, 650500, China.

PMID: 31581010
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121252

Abstract

Nanoparticles film of copper metal hexacyanoferrates (CuHCF) was fabricated to electrochemically separate Co²⁺ in aqueous solutions under various conditions such as applied potential, solution pHs, initial concentrations, contact time and coexisting ions. Results showed that the removal efficiency conducted in reduction potential was obviously higher than that in oxidation potential. The optimal pH for Co²⁺ adsorption occurred at 8.0. Coexisting ions studies revealed that Co²⁺ could be removed from aqueous solutions containing Li⁺, Cu²⁺ and Al³⁺. Considering that cobalt and lithium are the main metallic elements in LiCoO₂, the effect of different ionic strengths (IS) of LiNO₃ (0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10) on adsorption was further investigated. Results showed that IS of LiNO₃ had little impact on the removal efficiency of Co²⁺, which indicated the potential of selective recovery of cobalt from LiCoO₂ in spent lithium-ion batteries. X-ray energy-dispersion spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed that the Co²⁺ could be adsorbed effectively onto CuHCF film. The adsorption was well described by Langmuir isotherm and the maximum sorption capacity is 218.82 mg/g. The kinetic rate of Co²⁺ adsorption was rapid initially and attained equilibrium within 60 min, and the data well fitted the Redlich-Peterson and the Elovich model, implying a chemisorption dominated process.

Keywords: Cobalt ion; Electrochemical adsorption; Isotherm and kinetic; Metal hexacyanoferrates.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't