Impact of brownmillerite hydration on Cr(VI) sequestration in chromite ore processing residue

Abstract

Experimental and modeling studies were conducted to delineate the reaction progress of chromite ore processing residue (COPR) upon hydration and the roles of brownmillerite and calcium aluminum chromium oxide hydrates (CAC) in the scavenging of hexavalent chromium. A kinetic study was conducted by preparing slurry samples with both synthetic brownmillerite and actual COPR samples at ambient temperatures. The hydration reaction of brownmillerite using synthetic brownmillerite was very fast (within 1 hour) and was completed within 2 days. However, the hydration of brownmillerite embedded in COPR to its hydration byproducts was not clearly observed after 7 days of aging. Newly formed Ca4Al2O6(CrO4)·14H2O (CAC-14) was observed after 1 hour of aging in both samples. However, the rate of formation of CAC-14 with synthetic brownmillerite was much faster than the COPR embedded brownmillerite. The reaction progress of synthetic brownmillerite and COPR upon chromate influx was simulated by a reaction path modeling program. The phase transformation of both samples can be predicted by the constructed model. Moreover, the formation of CACs upon chromate addition was predicted by the model, suggesting an effective sink for Cr(VI).