Acid Leaching Extraction Mechanism of Aluminum and Iron Ions from Coal Gangue Based on CaF₂ Assistance and Process Optimization

Abstract

To reveal how CaF2 improves the dissolution ratios of aluminum and iron ions in coal gangue, CaF2 and hydrochloric acid are used to extract Al3+ and Fe3+ from the coal gangue calcined powder. The leaching ratios of Al3+ and Fe3+ are measured, and the filter residues are analyzed by BET, XRD, and SEM. The results show that adding 3% CaF2 could increase the extraction ratio of Al3+ from 62.96% to 92.10% under optimized conditions, and that of Fe3+ is increased from 85.12% to 95.73%. The mechanism of CaF2 as an auxiliary to improve the leaching ratio of Fe3+ is that HF reacts with the thin layers of gangue calcined powder containing silica to form soluble SiF4, thus forming pores that promote the diffusion of H+ and inner ions, improving the leaching ratios of Al3+ and Fe3+. Finally, the CaF2-assisted acid leaching process is optimized. The results showed that it is efficient and feasible to extract Al3+ and Fe3+ with the assistance of CaF2 and that HF has a catalytic effect in the reaction system. This work provides a reference for the next step of actual production.

Keywords

• coal gangue
• acid leaching
• CaF₂
• extraction of aluminum and iron ions