Iron Removal from Quartz Ore by Acid Leaching: From Lab- to Pilot-Scale

Svetlana Zueva (), Valentina Innocenzi, Nicolò Maria Ippolito, Ionela Birloaga, Francesco Vegliò and Francesco Ferella
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Svetlana Zueva: Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics, University of L’Aquila, Monteluco di Roio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Valentina Innocenzi: Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics, University of L’Aquila, Monteluco di Roio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Nicolò Maria Ippolito: Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics, University of L’Aquila, Monteluco di Roio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Ionela Birloaga: Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics, University of L’Aquila, Monteluco di Roio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Francesco Vegliò: Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics, University of L’Aquila, Monteluco di Roio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Francesco Ferella: Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics, University of L’Aquila, Monteluco di Roio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 22, 1-17

Abstract: Quartz in high-purity form, i.e., with an iron content <100 mg/kg, has valuable properties such as superior UV transmission, thermal stability, and resistance to devitrification, which are highly useful for optical applications. In this study, acid leaching was tested to optimize the production of optical-grade quartz from mined quartz, transforming an environmentally polluting process into a sustainable one, aligning with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Initially, when iron removal was obtained with direct, cross-current, and counter-current leaching methods, the results were unsatisfactory. However, a variation consisting of incorporating sulfuric acid regenerated via membrane filtration into the typical counter-current scheme was proven effective, reducing acid consumption and enhancing water recycling in the process, mitigating the environmental impact. The best optimized combination was the three-step counter-current method, with acid regeneration and fresh make-up after each cycle. The conditions were temperature 90 °C, solid-to-liquid ratio 30% wt/vol, time 3 h, and H 2 SO 4 concentration of 1 M. The iron extraction yield was close to 89%.

Keywords: iron; acid leaching; optical quartz; process optimization; acid recycling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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