Utilization of iron tailings to prepare high-surface area mesoporous silica materials

Iron tailings are fine, stable and complex materials, which are mainly composed of minerals and metal oxides. Residual silicon in iron tailings can be used to prepare mesoporous silica materials applied to energy storage, environmental protection and other fields. This paper reported a novel synthesis strategy from iron tailings to high-surface area hexagonally ordered mesoporous silica materials in an innovative non-hydrothermal system at room temperature. A pretreatment process involving acid leaching and hydrothermal alkaline reaction was vital to the successful utilization of iron tailings. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) data suggested that about 95% of the silicon of iron tailings changed to the silicate as a silicon source. The samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N₂-adsorption-desorption isotherms, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) and ²⁹Si solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The SAXRD patterns of mesoporous silica materials exhibited an intense (100) diffraction peak and two weak (110, 200) diffraction peaks, corresponding to characteristic of the ordered mesoporous lattice. TEM images further confirmed the hexagonally ordered porous structure of mesoporous silica materials. The WAXRD patterns and ²⁹Si MAS NMR spectra of the samples indicated that mesoporous silica materials were composed of amorphous SiO₂. The obtained mesoporous silica materials had a high surface area of 1915 m²/g and pore volume of 1.32 cm³/g. Furthermore, the evolution from iron tailings to mesoporous silica materials was elucidated and a proposed synthesis mechanism was discussed. Collectively, these results provided an insight into efficient recycling of iron tailings and the production of advanced functional materials from solid waste.