Hydrothermal treatment of electric arc furnace dust

In this study, ZnO crystals were fabricated from electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) after alkaline leaching, purification and hydrothermal treatment. The effects of temperature, duration, pH, and solid/liquid ratio on ZnO crystal morphology and size were investigated. Results show a high reaction temperature capable of accelerating the dissolution of ZnO precursor, expediting the growth of 1D ZnO, and increasing the L/D ratio in the temperature range of 100-200 °C. ZnO crystals with high purity can also be obtained, using the one-step hydrothermal treatment with a baffle that depends on the different solubility of zincite and franklinite in the hydrothermal conditions.