Estudo das propriedades espectroscópicas, estruturais e térmicas da jarosita proveniente de subprodutos da mineração de zinco

Abstract

Mining activities play a crucial role in the economy but often pose significant environmental challenges, including incidents such as dam failures and improper waste disposal. In the zinc purification process, a series of residual byproducts are generated, with jarosite being the main residue resulting from this procedure. These jarosite-containing residues often carry high concentrations of toxic metals, representing a potential environmental and ecological impact. The methodology employed in this work involved the analysis of jarosite samples received from the company Nexa, which were first subjected to thermal treatments at different temperatures. Thermal analysis was applied to monitor changes in thermal properties during this treatment. Other characterization techniques such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD), vibrational spectroscopy (Raman and Infrared), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to determine the crystal structure, crystallographic parameters, atomic arrangement, functional groups, chemical bonds, morphology, and surface structure of jarosite. The results obtained showed significant modifications in the structure of jarosite after undergoing thermal treatments, evidencing changes in the material's hue and color. These transformations indicate a potential for improving the properties of jarosite, making it a promising candidate for specific applications, such as its use in creating paint pigments. The results obtained from this study contributed to a deeper understanding of the properties of jarosite and the identification of possible applications and valorization of this residue. The presented results point to a possible potential for the sustainable use of this material, aiming to reduce environmental impacts generated by mining waste.