Preparation of MgCr2O4 from waste tannery solution and effect of sulfate, chloride, and calcium on leachability of chromium

This paper presents a study regarding the preparation of MgCr2O4 from waste tannery solution, and chromium leaching behavior is also investigated with varying amounts of sulfate, chloride and calcium. The phase transformation, crystallinity index and crystallite diameter were characterized using XRD, FT-IR and thermal analysis. A well-crystallized MgCr2O4 was successfully prepared at 1400 °C. The sintering temperature had a major impact on the formation of MgCr2O4 compared with sintering time. The MgCr2O4 phase was observed initially at 400 °C and its crystallite diameter increased with increasing temperature. The concentration of total chromium leached and Cr(VI) decreased gradually with increasing temperature. The considerable amount of Cr(VI) was found in the leachate at 300–500 °C caused by Cr(VI) intermediary products. Sulfate and chlorine could impact the transformation efficiency of chromium adversely, and chlorine has a more significant effect than sulfate. The presence of calcium disturbed the formation of MgCr2O4 and new chromium species (CaCrO4) appeared, which resulted in a sharp increase in the concentration of leached Cr(VI). Incorporating Cr(III) into the MgCr2O4 spinel for reusable products reduced its mobility significantly. This was demonstrated to be a promising strategy for the disposal of chromium containing waste resource.