Reclamation of mineral acids from various waste streams using solvent extraction technique: a review

ABSTRACT With the tremendous growth in industrialization, the consumption of mineral acids in various industrial processes such as electro-refining, electro-winning, etching, leaching, and catalyst also increased day by day with its massive waste stream. The mineralogical industries are progressively being constrained by cost pressing and other prescribed factors to lessen the generation of acidic waste. This requires a solid spotlight to regenerate, recycle, and reuse of acidic waste streams. In this review, different methods used for acids recovery are highlighted and particular attention is paid to solvent extraction. Further, various sources of acid waste streams are identified for the recovery of mineral acids. The selectivity of extractants for effective extraction/recovery of mineral acids such as sulfuric acid (H2SO4), hydrochloric acid (HCl), nitric acid (HNO3), phosphoric acid (H3PO4), and boric acid (H3BO3) from acidic waste streams has also been discussed in detail. Graphical Abstract