Selective Resource Recovery from Acid Mine Drainage by Membrane Distillation and Adsorption Process

University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.Acid mine drainage (AMD) is characterized by low pH and high concentration of sulphate, as well as high concentrations of heavy metals. Nearby water streams are susceptible to AMD infiltration, resulting in discoloration of streams, decrease in pH and accumulation of heavy metals. The long-term impact of AMD contaminant on aquatic organisms, plant growth and human health is a significant concern, which necessitates AMD treatment. Increasing cost of mining activities and stringent environment regulations have made treatment of AMD an additional cost to the industry. Identifying sustainable and economically viable treatment methods is essential to encourage AMD treatment within the mining industry to prevent environment pollution. Resource recovery from AMD has long being considered as a viable approach to offset cost of treatment and meet the demand for scarce metals in the international market. Treatment of synthetic AMD combining membrane distillation and subsequent adsorption presented in this study is an innovative approach for resource recovery. Membrane distillation is used for recovery of fresh-water and functionalized-adsorbents are synthesized for selective recovery of dissolved metals from concentrated feed. This will enable wide use of the technology in mining industries and help create a circular economy for valuable metals in the international market