Kinetic model for identifying the rate controlling step of the aluminum leaching from peat clay

The aluminum (Al) leaching kinetics from peat clay was investigated using various acid concentrations 1 M to 6 M, particle sizes +70-120 mesh to +200-325 mesh and temperatures 30 °C to 90 °C. They all have significant effects on aluminum leaching process. The Al leaching recovery was best found to be 91.3 % at 4 M hydrochloric acid (HCl), using a particle size of +200-325 mesh with solid/liquid of 0.02 g·ml^-1. Leaching kinetic study was applied to the two rate equations proposed that is acid diffusion via product layer and surface chemical reaction using the shrinking core (SC) model to analyze the leaching data. The product layer diffusion is controlling Al leaching process for one-stage model, while for two-stage model, it was controlled by surface chemical reaction. The activation energy in the two rate controlling step was 82.79 kJ mol^-1 and 27.08 kJ mol^-1, respectively.