Recycling Industrial Waste: Ferritization Products for Zn 2+ Removal from Wastewater

Dmitry Samchenko, Gennadii Kochetov, Shuwei Hao, Yuliia Trach (), Roman Trach and Olena Hnes
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Dmitry Samchenko: Faculty of Engineering Systems and Ecology, Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
Gennadii Kochetov: Faculty of Engineering Systems and Ecology, Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
Shuwei Hao: MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Yuliia Trach: Institute of Civil Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Roman Trach: Institute of Civil Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Olena Hnes: Institute of Civil Engineering and Architecture, National University of Water and Environmental Engineering, 33028 Rivne, Ukraine

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: This study presents a sustainable approach to recycling exhausted etching solutions through ferritization, using various activation methods and aeration rates. The process transforms industrial waste into valuable magnetic sorbents, supporting circular economy principles. Structural and chemical analysis of the ferritization products revealed the formation of ferromagnetic crystalline phases, including lepidocrocite (ɣ-FeOOH), ferrooxygite (δ-FeOOH), and magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ). Increasing the aeration rate and use of ultrasound treatment enhances Fe 3 O 4 content and iron ion removal efficiency. The adsorption capacity of the recycled materials for Zn 2+ removal was assessed under different pH conditions using mechanical mixing and ultrasound treatment. The highest level of Zn 2+ removal (92.0%) was achieved at pH 8 with ultrasound-activated sorbents containing 61.3% δ-FeOOH and 38.7% Fe 3 O 4 . At pH 10, magnetite-based sorbents achieved over 98.9% Zn 2+ removal, enabling the treated water’s reuse in industrial rinsing processes. Electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence confirmed the presence of fine, spherical magnetite and zinc ferrite particles. These findings underscore the potential of ferritization-based recycling as an eco-friendly and efficient strategy for heavy metal removal from galvanic wastewater.

Keywords: sustainable wastewater treatment; recycling; ferritization; zinc removal; ultrasound activation; etching solution; magnetic sorbents (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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