Speciation and recovery of chromium from chromite ore processing residues.

The processing of chromite ore is associated with the generation of large quantities of solid wastes containing chromium, which have been disposed of as landfill for many years. The mobilization and operational speciation of chromium contained in soils contaminated with metal salts are important in terms of the environment. Several methods have been employed for the extraction and recovery of solid wastes. Chromium contained in contaminated soils and solid wastes can be categorized as exchangeable, oxidizable, carbonate-bound, reducible and residual. The results from this study indicate a need for efficient leaching methodologies in chromite ore processing plants to decrease the non-detrital fractions of chromium in the residue. Aggressive methodologies are required to recover chromium from the detrital fractions. The potential benefits of employing sodium peroxide for the complete recovery of chromium from chromite residue have been demonstrated, and the need to ensure the safety of the process has been emphasized.