Real-time measurement system for determining metal concentrations in water-intensive processes

Abstract

AbstractThe main purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the potential of time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR) technology for monitoring the concentrations of metal ions in water-based solutions. The main focus of this work was paramagnetic ions, such as Mn2+, Cu2+, Fe3+, Fe2+, Zn2+ and Ni2+, which are often the principal metal components in mining waters. Laboratory samples of different concentrations of single metals and mixtures of them and samples of real mining water were used in the relaxation rate (R2) measurements. The measurements of single metal ions were used for the determination of the relaxivities of those ions. The concentrations of the ions in the mining water as a function of pH were also estimated by means of the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) method and ChemEQL software for calculating chemical speciation equilibria. Using these concentration values and the relaxivities of the metal ions, the total relaxation rate (R2) results were then calculated. Principally, the results of these three different determinations are in relatively good agreement. It can be concluded that TD-NMR has great potential for monitoring metal ion concentrations during water treatment.