RECOVERY OF SULFURIC-ACID FROM WASTE AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS CONTAINING ARSENIC BY ION-EXCHANGE

Laboratory scale experiments with anion and cation exchange resins aim ing to separate arsenic from highly acidic, sulphate-containing soluti ons were carried our. The data obtained proved that the use of strong acid cation exchangers in the Na form gives the opportunity for arseni c/acid separation in two stages, During the period of sulphuric acid a ccumulation (a period in which the resin is converted from Na form to its H form), the residual sulphuric acid concentration within 3 BV is below 0.1 g/l. The arsenic concentration in the effluent remains uncha nged. The acid obtained, during the period of sulphuric acid recovery by stripping with Na2SO4 has a higher concentration than the initial c oncentration in the waste acidic solution. The recovered acid has leve ls of As, Cu, Pb and Fe low enough to be used in the sulphuric acid pr oduction industry. As a net result, the implementation of the strong a cid ion-exchange method leads to two streams: (1) low acidity water in which all the arsenic is concentrated; (2) sulphuric acid free of ars enic.