Optimization of Pressure-Assisted Extraction of Vanadium and Chromium from Vanadium-Chromium Sludge Using Response Surface Methodology
摘要
Vanadium-chromium sludge is a by-product generated during the sodium roasting–leaching process for vanadium production from vanadium slag. It is considered hazardous waste but contains valuable vanadium and chromium resources. To recover vanadium and chromium while minimizing environmental pollution, we report a simple and efficient process for extracting these metals from vanadium-chromium slag using an oxygen pressure-assisted alkaline oxidative leaching method. The oxygen pressure-assisted process achieved high leaching efficiencies, with 98.8% for vanadium and 98.7% for chromium. Reaction parameters were first evaluated through single-factor experiments and subsequently optimized using response surface methodology. The optimal conditions were determined as an oxygen pressure of 0.37 MPa, a NaOH concentration of 50 wt%, and a temperature of 171.8 °C. Furthermore, the kinetics of the chromium extraction process were studied using a shrinking core model, revealing that the leaching process is controlled by both chemical reactions and diffusion, with an average apparent activation energy of 36.41 kJ/mol. This study provides a valuable reference for the treatment and resource recovery of vanadium-chromium sludge.
Graphical Abstract