title: A new process for nickel ammonium disulfate production from ash of the hyperaccumulating plant Alyssum murale.
abstract: The extraction of nickel (Ni) from ultramafic soils by phytomining can be achieved using Alyssum murale cultures. This study presents a new process for the valorization of Ni accumulated by this plant through the production of a Ni ammonium disulfate salt (Ni(NH(4))(2)(SO(4))(2).6H(2)O). The process comprises an initial leaching of the ashes of A. murale with a sulphuric acid solution (1.9 M H(2)SO(4), T=95 °C, t=240 min, TS=150 g ash L(-1)), producing a leachate rich in Ni (10.2 g Ni L(-1); 96% Ni solubilisation), Mg, P, K, Fe, Ca and Al. The pH of the acid leachate is increased to 5.0 with NaOH (5M), followed by an evaporation step which produced a purified solution rich in Ni (21.3 g NiL(-1)) and an iron hydroxide precipitate. The cold crystallization (T=2 °C, t=6h) of this solution by the stoichiometric addition (× 1.2) of ammonium sulfate generates a Ni ammonium disulfate salt, containing 13.2% Ni, that is potentially valuable to industry.
authors.affiliation: Institut national de la recherche scientifique, INRS-Eau, Terre et Environnement 490, rue de couronne, (Québec), Canada, G1K 9A9.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barbaroux
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Plasari
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mercier
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Simonnot
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Morel
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Blais
mesh_terms: D000645:Ammonium Sulfate / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019607:Brassicaceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D003460:Crystallization; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D017745:Incineration; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012995:Solubility; D013464:Sulfuric Acids / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D013464:Sulfuric Acids; C031029:ammonium nickel sulfate; D009532:Nickel; C033158:sulfuric acid; D000645:Ammonium Sulfate