Temperature-dependent kinetics of aluminum leaching from peat clay

Abstract

The leaching kinetics of aluminum from peat clay using 4 M HCl at dissimilar leaching temperatures (30–90 °C) was investigated. The maximum of aluminum recovery was 91.27% after 60 min of leaching in agitated Pyrex reactor at 90 °C. The model involved the concept of shrinking core in order to describe aluminum that is located inside the core solid particle of peat clay that shrinks as the extracted solute, and it assumed the unchanged particle structure, a first-order leaching kinetics mechanism and a linear equilibrium at the interface of solid-liquid. The proposed model was corresponding to fit experimental data and to simulate the aluminum leaching from peat clay with four fitting parameters of temperature. The result was confirmed with the mass transfer coefficient (kc, cm/s), diffusion coefficient (De, cm2/s), and reaction rate constants (k, cm/s) by following an increasing trend with increasing temperature. Moreover, it was validated by the correlation coefficient (ccoef = 0.9794), the root mean square error (RMSE = 0.485), the mean relative deviation modulus (E = 3.290%), and the activation energy value (Ea = 19.15 kJmol-1). This model could describe the aluminum leaching kinetics from peat clay that suitable with experiment parameters and statistical criteria, by giving useful information for optimization, scaling-up, and design.