Abstract
Acid mine drainage (AMD) is acidic water characterized by high concentrations of metals such as iron, manganese, and aluminium as well as sulphate ions, that is formed when pyrite minerals are exposed to oxygenated water and bacteria. This type of water may harm the environment due to lower pH value and is a rising problem in gold and coal mining areas. The mining industry is a sector that still has a big problem of high energy consumption during the AMD treatment due to extensive aeration and stirring, which are required to enable the oxidation of ferrous ions. In past decades, some passive and active AMD treatment methods showed to be costly, time and energy-consuming as well as using separate treatment units with a possibility of generating hazardous by-products. However, this study aimed at treating AMD using low energy advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). The AOP considered as an emerging green oxidant, cost-effective and coagulant/flocculant in a single mixing and dosing unit during the treatment of AMD was sodium ferrate (VI) (Na2FeO4) salt. This was successfully prepared through a wet oxidation process by oxidizing liquid FeCl3 with NaOCl in a strong NaOH solution...
Ph.D. (Chemical Sciences)