Low-grade magnesium oxide by-products for environmental solutions: Characterization and geochemical performance

The reutilization of the by-products from the calcination of natural magnesite for environmental solutions is conditioned by the availability of MgO, CaO and other compounds. In order to overcome their great heterogeneity, an exhaustive chemical and physical characterization is necessary in order to assess their potential applications. In this study, the acid neutralization capacity (ANC) test was used to categorize three types of by-products (LG-MgO, LG-D and LG-F), which mainly differed according to source ore and processing conditions. The experimental data concerning the leaching of Mg2 +, Ca2 +, Fe2 + and SO42 − was corroborated with geochemical predictions using the modelling software Visual MINTEQ. Likewise, the main solubility-controlling mineral phases were also identified. According to the results, there is a buffer capacity within the pH 8-10 range, mainly dominated by the neutralization of MgO/Mg(OH)2, equilibrium with a small contribution from the carbonate content at lower pH values. The release of sulphates showed a non-pH dependency attributed to the solubility of CaSO4 and elemental sulphur present in petcoke. For dust materials, leaching of Fe was minimal above pH 6 owing to the insoluble nature of the Fe2O3/Fe3O4 pair. Accordingly, the by-products labeled as LG-D and LG-F are better suited for stabilizing solid wastes or wastewater that are acid while LG-MgO is more appropriate for alkaline residues such as contaminated soils. In both cases, a suitable pH range in which pH-dependent heavy metals and metalloids show minimum solubility can be obtained. The use of these by-products guarantees an environmentally friendly alkali reservoir for the long-term stabilization of heavy metals and metalloids at a very competitive price as a substitute for the widely used lime.