The para-chloroaniline prevention after the use of sodium thiosulfate as an intermediary irrigator between sodium hypochlorite and chlorhexidine

Objective: Evaluating the neutralization of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) by sodium thiosulfate in vitro, in different concentrations, in the prevention of para-chloroaniline (PCA) formation when in contact with CHX. Material and methods: It were collected 2 mL of NaOCl solution to 2.5% and to 6%, divided in eight groups according to the sodium thiosulfate concentration (1.0; 2.5; 5.0; 10%) (TSF). The tests were done in duplicate and in each plate, it was poured 2mL of TFS and the reaction was observed for 5 minutes. After, 2 mL of 2% Chlorhexidine (CHX) were pouring on the plates to verify the formation of PCA. The infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform was used to verify the presence of PCA, and, in each solution, the pH was verified with universal strip. Results: All analyzed samples presented presence of water and deuterium water, and there was not identification of the PCA presence. The pH result of the solutions was between 8 and 9. It was verified that in the increasing of the concentration of the TFS there was gradual formation of precipitated compound and increase of the turbidity of the final sample. Conclusion: TFS can be used as an intermediate irrigation solution to prevent the formation of para-chloroaniline in the combined use of NaOCl and CHX.

Leaching Behavior of Gold and Silver from Concentrated Sulfide Ore Using Ammonium Thiosulfate

Ammonium thiosulfate is an alternative lixiviant for the hydrometallurgical treatment of sulfide gold ores. The present study is primarily focused on ammonium thiosulfate leaching of gold (Au) and silver (Ag) from the sulfide ore (Sunshin mine in Korea). The main chemical composition of the concentrate was Au (84 ppm), Ag (852 ppm), Fe (18.9%), Si (23.2%), and S (21.1%). The effects of various parameters on the process, such as leaching time (1–4 h), ammonium thiosulfate concentration (0.05–0.5 M), copper sulfate (CuSO4), concentration (0.05–0.25 M), solid to liquid ratio (0.2–0.5), and reaction temperature (40–60 °C) were systematically examined. Optimum Au leaching efficiency (>99%) was obtained under the following leaching conditions: 0.5 M ammonium thiosulfate with 0.05 M CuSO4 concentration, 0.2 S/L ratio at 60 °C for 2 h. The results indicate that the behavior of Ag was similar to that of Au. Almost complete dissolution of Ag occurred under following leaching conditions: 0.5 M ammonium thiosulfate with 0.05 M CuSO4 concentration at 60 °C for 4 h. This study would be useful in understanding the eco-friendly leaching systems of Au and Ag during the hydrometallurgical process of sulfide gold ore.

Low Potential Pitting Corrosion of Ni-Cr-Fe Alloys in Chloride Plus Thiosulfate Solutions: Determination of Potential and Concentration Boundaries

Low potential pitting corrosion (LPPC) of Alloys 690 and 800 (UNS N06690 and N08800) was studied in neutral solutions, containing chloride ions from 0.1 M to 1 M and thiosulfate ions from 5 × 10−5 M to 10−3 M. LPPC occurred close to the corrosion potential (–0.25 VAg/AgCl) by a synergic effect of the chloride and thiosulfate ions. The threshold concentrations of aggressive species for LPPC occurrence were identified by potentiostatic tests with mechanical scratching of the surface, which yielded more conservative estimations compared to other electrochemical tests. The ranges of potential and concentration of chloride and thiosulfate where LPPC occurred and where it merged with the conventional chloride pitting were determined. The lowest threshold concentrations were measured in Alloy 800, with a lower Cr content than Alloy 690. Thermally-aged Alloys 800 and 690 had lower resistance to LPPC than the corresponding solution-annealed material. In 1 M chloride-based solutions, for aged Alloy 800, LPPC occurred at a thiosulfate concentration as low as 5 × 10−5 M; in 10−3 M thiosulfate-based solutions, the chloride threshold was 0.1 M. For thermally-aged alloys, pits propagated intergranulary in some experiments. In solutions with chloride and thiosulfate concentrations close to the threshold required for pitting, repassivation of LPPC was observed after a sustained period of pit growth, originally initiated by scratching the surface. Such a repassivation has not been reported before in the literature in chloride and thiosulfate solutions. Two possible explanations were presented for this phenomenon.

Leaching of Silver and Gold Contained in a Sedimentary Ore, Using Sodium Thiosulfate; A Preliminary Kinetic Study

Some sedimentary minerals have attractive contents of gold and silver, like a sedimentary exhalative ore available in the eastern of Hidalgo in Mexico. The gold and silver contained represent an interesting opportunity for processing by non-toxic and aggressive leaching reagents like thiosulfate. The preliminary kinetic study indicated that the leaching process was poorly affected by temperature and thiosulfate concentration. The reaction order was −0.61 for Ag, considering a thiosulfate concentration between 200–500 mol·m−3, while, for Au, it was −0.09 for a concentration range between 32–320 mol·m–3. By varying the pH 7–10, it was found that the reaction order was n = 5.03 for Ag, while, for Au, the value was n = 0.94, considering pH 9.5–11. The activation energy obtained during the silver leaching process was 3.15 kJ·mol−1 (298–328 K), which was indicative of a diffusive control of the process. On the other hand, during gold leaching, the activation energy obtained was of 36.44 kJ·mol−1, which was indicative that this process was mixed controlled process, first at low temperatures by diffusive control (298–313 K) and then by chemical control (318–323 K).

Study on the Removal of Thiosulfate from Wastewater by Catalytic Oxidation

Wastewater streaming from industrial plants, including petroleum refineries, chemical plants, pulp and paper plants, mining operations, electroplating operations, and food processing plants, can contain offensive substances such as cyanide, sulfides, sulfites, thiosulfates, mercaptans and disulfides that tend to increase the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the streams. In the present work, removal of thiosulfate from wastewater by catalytic oxidation using aluminum oxide as a catalyst was studied. Four main factors were considered, namely the initial thiosulfate concentration, the hydrogen peroxide concentrations, the amount of the catalyst and the operating temperatures. The analysis of thiosulfate and sulfate was carried out by using UV Visible Spectrophotometer. An empirical rate equation was developed.

Oxidation of Thiosulfate with Oxygen Using Copper (II) as a Catalyst

Thiosulfate effluents are generated in the photography and radiography industrial sectors, and in a plant in which thiosulfates are used to recover the gold and silver contained in ores. Similar effluents also containing thiosulfate are those generated from the petrochemical, pharmaceutical and pigment sectors. In the future, the amounts of these effluents may increase, particularly if the cyanides used in the extraction of gold and silver from ores are substituted by thiosulfates, or if the same happens to electronic scrap or in metallic coating processes. This paper reports a study of the oxidation of thiosulfate, with oxygen using copper (II) as a catalyst, at a pH between 4 and 5. The basic idea is to avoid the formation of tetrathionate and polythionate, transforming the thiosulfate into sulfate. The nature of the reaction and a kinetic study of thiosulfate transformation, by reaction with oxygen and Cu2+ at a ppm level, are determined and reported. The best conditions were obtained at 60 °C, pH 5, with an initial concentration of copper of 53 ppm and an oxygen pressure of 1 atm. Under these conditions, the thiosulfate concentration was reduced from 1 g·L−1 to less than 20 ppm in less than three hours.

An environmentally friendly system for high efficient silver recovery from anode slime

Anode slime is an extremely valuable secondary resource for the recovery of silver and has attracted wide attentions. Effective metal recovery is usually constrained by either environmental hazards or high consumption of lixiviant for cyanide and non-cyanide leaching reagents. To tackle these issues in the process of silver recovery from anode slime, this research demonstrated a new leaching system with using an efficient oxidant which encapsulates cyanide into ferric complexes to ensure it not releasing into the environment while effective silver recovery was achieved. Comparing with the traditional tetra-amine copper oxidant, it was found that the dissolution rate of silver was significantly improved and leachate consumption was largely decreased. The effects of stirring speed, sodium thiosulfate concentration, oxidant concentration, solution pH and time on silver dissolution were investigated. When the novel system of iron-encapsulated cyanide was applied to extract silver from anode slime, the final conversion rates of silver was 97% after 60 minutes. This system has great potential in silver recovery from anode slime.

Determination of Dissolution Rates of Ag Contained in Metallurgical and Mining Residues in the S2O32−-O2-Cu2+ System: Kinetic Analysis

The materials used to conduct kinetic study on the leaching of silver in the S2O32−-O2-Cu2+ system were mining residues (tailings) from the Dos Carlos site in the State of Hidalgo, Mexico, which have an estimated concentration of Ag = 71 g∙ton−1. The kinetic study presented in this paper assessed the effects of the following variables on Ag dissolution rate: particle diameter (d0), temperature (T), copper concentration [Cu2+], thiosulfate concentration [S2O32−], pH, [OH−], stirring rate (RPM), and partial pressure of oxygen (PO2). Temperature has a favorable effect on the leaching rate of Ag, obtaining an activation energy (Ea) = 43.5 kJ∙mol−1 in a range between 288 K (15 °C) and 328 K (55 °C), which indicates that the dissolution reaction is controlled by the chemical reaction. With a reaction order of n = 0.4, the addition of [Cu2+] had a catalytic effect on the leaching rate of silver, as opposed to not adding it. The dissolution rate is dependent on [S2O32−] in a range between 0.02 mol·L−1 and 0.06 mol·L−1. Under the studied conditions, variables d0, [OH−] and RPM did not have an effect on the overall rate of silver leaching.

Pitting of steam-generator tubing alloys in solutions containing thiosulfate and sulfate or chloride

The pitting of nuclear steam generator tubing alloys 600, 690 and 800 was studied at 60 °C using dilute thiosulfate solutions containing excess sulfate or (for Alloy 600) chloride. A potentiostatic scratch method was used. In sulfate solutions, all alloys pitted at low potentials, reflecting their lack of protective Mo. The alloys demonstrated the most severe pitting at a sulfate : thiosulfate concentration ratio of ∼40. Alloy 600 pitted worst at a chloride : thiosulfate ratio of ∼2000. The results are interpreted through the mutual electromigration of differently charged anions into a pit nucleus, and differences in the major alloy component.