Enrichment of germanium from waste germanium-bearing dust via reduction volatilization using calcium sulfate as an additive.
- 2026-03
- Journal of environmental management 402
- PubMed: 41747684
- DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129140
Study Design
- Methods
- secondary enrichment process using CaSO4 as a sulfiding agent under N2 atmosphere; single-factor experiments; optimized conditions: 10.43 wt% CaSO4, 1088°C, 4.8 h
- Duration
- 4.8 h
- Funding
- Unclear
The efficient recovery of germanium from industrial waste germanium-bearing dust addresses significant environmental and resource-sustainability challenges. Conventional chlorination-distillation methods exhibit low efficiency, largely due to the low germanium content and complex mineralogy of the dust. In this study, a secondary enrichment process was developed using CaSO4 as a sulfiding agent under an N2 atmosphere. Thermodynamic analysis indicates that germanium began to volatilize as GeS above 700 °C, with GeS becoming the dominant species above 1000 °C. Single-factor experiments confirmed that increasing temperature and CaSO4 dosage promoted volatilization, whereas carbon addition suppressed it. Under optimized conditions (10.43 wt% CaSO4, 1088 °C, 4.8 h), germanium volatilization reached 95.05 %, with the residue containing less than 0.03 wt% Ge. The condensed concentrate assayed at 27.14 wt% germanium, with GeO2 and GeS present in a ratio close to 1:1, while residual germanium in the slag occurred primarily as metallic alloys with arsenic and iron. This process offers an efficient and practical route for enriching germanium from low-grade secondary resources.
Research Insights
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