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Mechanoelectrolysis of Sulfides: Modulating Sulfide-to-Metal Conversions
Yanyang Guo1,2, Shiyu Wang1,2, Jiakang Qu3
1School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 299 Bayi Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan430072, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Sulfide-to-metal conversion reactions are crucial in various fields, including metal extraction, battery production, and materials science. However, modulating the kinetics of conversion reactions remains poorly understood. Herein, we studied the ZnS/Zn conversion reaction in an alkaline solution, which has not been achieved due to kinetic limitations. To this end, a brand-new mechanoelectrolysis method was developed to convert ZnS powders into a Zn deposit in a 60 wt % NaOH solution with an energy consumption of ∼3 kWh/kg-Zn. The success of the conversion is ascribed to the mechanical stirring that induces elastic collisions/contact between micron-sized sulfide particles and the current collector, and thereby increases the conversion rate. Besides ZnS, the mechanoelectrolysis can accelerate PbS/Pb, CuS/Cu, Cu2S/Cu, Bi2S3/Bi, and SnS/Sn conversions with a current efficiency of over 90%. Therefore, mechanical stirring has been proven to be a general way to boost sulfide-to-metal conversion reactions, thereby increasing metal extraction rates and energy efficiencies in various electrochemical systems. Overall, this work not only offers a general method to modulate conversion reactions but also deepens the mechanistic understanding of sulfide-to-metal conversion kinetics.
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