An electrochemical method for the formation of magnetite particles

Tung Yu Ying, Sotira Yiacoumi, Costas Tsouris

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

Magnetite has been widely used in numerous industrial processes and environmental applications. The conventional method for the production of magnetite particles, based on the mixing of ferrous and ferric ions at a 1 : 2 molar ratio, produces high-pH secondary wastewater that requires further treatment. This study investigates an alternative approach based on electrochemical reactions for the production of magnetite particles, a process in which ions of iron are produced by carbon steel electrodes and pure magnetite particles are formed through electrochemical reactions under favorable conditions. To better understand the mechanisms involved, experiments were conducted to examine the effects of various electrolytes - such as those of NaCl, CaCl2, MgCl2, and CuCl2 - and various operating conditions - including temperature and applied voltage - on the formation of magnetite particles. It was observed that magnetite could form in NaCl solutions in the presence or absence of Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions, while only insignificant quantities of magnetite particles were observed in tap water and CuCl2 solutions. A mechanistic study of magnetite formation based on the E-pH diagram is presented, and the reactions involved are identified.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)569-576
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Dispersion Science and Technology
Volume23
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2002

Funding

Support for this research was provided by the National Science Foundation through a Career Award (BES-9702356 to S.Y.), and by the Environmental Management Science Program, Office of Environmental Management, and the Division of Chemical Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, US Department of Energy, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle, LLC. The authors are also thankful to Dr. Marsha K. Savage for editing the manuscript.

Keywords

  • Electrochemical precipitation
  • Electrocoagulation
  • Magnetite

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