Michal Lovás

Utilization of Ferromagnetic Fluids in Mineral Processing and Water Treatment

The paper is devoted to the utilization of ferrofluid as a separating medium and modifying agent affecting the magnetic properties of solid and liquid materials. The separation tests in a MHS separator have been carried out under laboratory condition. The selectivity of ferrofluids adsorption to the surface of some materials can be used for enhancing the magnetic susceptibility and influencing the efficiency of separation process. The enhancement of magnetic susceptibility of oil products up to a level sufficient for their magnetic extraction from water is possible by admixing of a definite amount of kerosene-based ferrofluid, which is non-miscible with water. The results point to the fact that the MHS method is suitable for the separation of non-magnetic materials according to their density and the modification of magnetic properties of materials by ferrofluid enhancing their magnetic separability.

Deferrization of Kaolinic Sand by Iron Oxidizing and Iron Reducing Bacteria

Iron oxidizing bacteria Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, iron reducing bacteria Acidiphilium spp. and their mixture were applied for leaching of iron impurities from quartz sand. The bacterial leaching was carried out in order to decrease the amount of colouring iron oxides and to improve the technological properties of the raw material. Mineralogical analysis confirmed the presence of siderite, iron-bearing muscovite and various amorphous and crystalline forms of iron oxides occurring both free and coating siderite and quartz particles. Mössbauer spectroscopy revealed various oxidation and magnetic states of iron ions, with the prevalence of reduced ionic species. Highest extraction of iron was achieved with pure culture of iron-reducing bacteria with ferrous iron as dominant species in the leaching liquor. Surprisingly, iron oxidizing bacteria caused passivation of the surface of iron-bearing minerals, resulting in the depression of iron leaching in comparison with abiotic control. Ferric iron was major species in the leaching solution containing the mixed culture of iron-oxidizing and iron-reducing bacteria. The mixture was far less efficient in iron extraction than pure culture of iron-reducing bacteria.

Removal of Cd2+ And Pb2+ from Aqueous Solutions Using Bio-Char Residues

Abstract In this paper, wheat straw and rapeseed residues before and after microwave pyrolysis during biooil production were studied as potential sorbents of heavy metals. The sorbents were characterized by elemental analysis and FTIR spectroscopy. Sorption properties of the materials were investigated using batch adsorption-equilibrium experiments and the effect of initial Cd and Pb concentration was studied. The experimental data fit Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The maximum sorption affinity of studied materials was observed in the case of rapeseed and its sorption capacity was 31.6 and 83.5 mg/g for Cd and Pb, respectively.

Biological Purification of Silicate Minerals

Bioleaching is technology applicable to iron extraction from low-grade non-metallic raw materials. Bioleaching of quartz sands and feldspars involves the action of heterotrophic bacteria. Impurities include fine – grained limonite, goethite, hematite or mica were removed by the reductive dissolution of Fe3+ in linked with the silicate mineral destruction. Heterotrophic bacteria produced organic acids that are able to solubilize Fe oxide and silicates but require organic carbon as a source of energy. Molasses is a relatively inexpensive carbon source used for various industrial fermentations and contains also other nutrients that accounted for the enhancement of iron dissolution in this study. The admixture of pigments in molasses coloured the samples, but the discoloration could be removed by the addition of NaClO following the bioleaching step. The feasibility of the bioleaching treatment has to be tested specifically to each type of silicate raw materials. The Fe content in the quartz sands and feldspar samples by the biological leaching decreased as much as 60% and by subsequent using of electromagnetic separation of feldspars, the decrease of Fe content in 74% was achieved. However, the application of magnetic separation of quartz sands after bioleaching resulted in total iron removal of 93 % and in such combined way prepared product contained 0.024 % of Fe2O3. Achieved results on iron removal point to the fact that combination of leaching and magnetic separation enables to obtain product usable in glass and ceramic industry.

Application of Microwave Energy at Treatment of Asbestos Cement (Eternit)

Asbestos is the common name applied to a group of natural, fibrous silicate minerals, which were once one of the most popular raw materials to be used in building materials. Asbestos was mainly used for the production of assortment asbestos cement products. Today it is generally known that asbestos belongs to the group of hazardous materials and shows carcinogenic activity. It is therefore advisable to attempt to dispose of asbestos minerals in asbestos-containing materials and to convert them into a harmless material. One of methods may be microwave thermal decomposition of asbestos minerals. The research was used for old etemit roof ceiling. X-ray analysis indicated the presence of undesirable chrysotile. Its thermal destruction was carried out in a microwave oven in the power of 2500 W. In case the heating time was 15 min, X-ray analysis was confirmed chrysotile change into harmless minerals. Thermal analysis was used for characterization and the thermal behaviour of the asbestos cement sample.

The Application of Heterogeneous PolarisableFluids in Mineral Processing

The paper deals with the application of ferrofluids in mineral processing. The efficiency of primary and secondary raw material separation by the magnetohydrostatic method is dependent on convenient distribution and on the stabilisation of density of the ferrofluid. To determine this density, the effective dynamometric method based on measurement of the buoyant force was constructed. A density controller has been developed for stabilisation and control of the density. Influence of some factors on the separation process, as well as the results of magnetohydrostatic separation are described.

Theoretical Model of Separation of Fine Particlesin a Rotating Ferrofluid

The application of centrifugal forces to a ferrofluid with finely grained particles located in a non—homogeneous magnetic field is the basis of the theoretical model of separation outlined in this paper. An analytical solution of the equation of the particle motion, its application under certain conditions, as well as the graphic representation of the results are presented.