Professor Dong Yaping & Li Wu's research team

1. RESEARCH GROUP

Mineralization of Salt Lake Brine and Green Clean Technology Research

2. BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Our group is pursuing studies of the clean-mineralization technology of salt lake resources, based on the local natural conditions in salt lake district. According to the ecological vulnerability in Tibetan plateau, novel approaches for clean production processes are successfully developed for lithium carbonate, lithium sulfate, boron mineral, magnesium and boron mineral, sylvite, carnallite and other high-quality minerals, only depending on salt fields and solar energy. Li₂CO₃ concentrate has been sold commercially. In our group, purification techniques for low-grade saline minerals are obtained. Fine chemical production techniques of whisker series products and the separation and extraction methods for Rb, Cs, Br₂, I₂ and other scattered elements are possessed. Our group is also qualified to receive doctoral students in inorganic chemistry and analytical chemistry research fields.

The traditional chromium salt production technology has huge drawbacks such as large waste discharge, low resource utilization and low automation. It has been ranked first long among the country's high pollution industries. We have invented and developed series of electrochemical methods for preparing chromium products in clean ways with ferrochrome as the raw material, including preparation of sodium chromate through electrochemical oxidation and preparation of sodium dichromium and chromic anhydride through electrocatalytic synthesis. Complete utilization of chromium, cyclic utilization of sodium and value raise of iron could be realized with the new technologies which have already been or will be further applied in industry when both the hydrogen and oxygen gas generating during electrolysis has high economic value.

3. RESEARCH PROJECTS IN THE PAST THREE YEARS

4. RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

1. Peng JY, Lin Feng, Yang B, Wang LP, Dinnebier ER, Dong YP, Li W. Synthesis, Structure and Properties of a Magnesium Borate in Concentrated Boron Bearing Salt Lake Brine by Dilution Method[J]. Chinese of Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 2016, 32(2): 305-312.

2. Gao D, Li D, Li W. Solubility of RbCl and CsCl in pure water at subzero temperatures, heat capacity of RbCl(aq) and CsCl(aq) at T = 298.15 K, and thermodynamic modeling of RbCl + H₂O and CsCl + H₂O systems[J]. Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics, 2016, 104:201-211.

3. Hu B, Hnědkovsky L, Hefter G. Heat Capacities of Aqueous Solutions of Lithium Sulfate, Lithium Perchlorate, and Lithium Trifluoromethanesulfonate at 298.15 K[J]. Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data, 2016, 61(6):2149-2154.

4. Li DD, Zeng DW, Han H, Guo LJ, Yin X, Yao Y. Phase diagrams and thermochemical modeling of salt lake brine systems. I. LiCl+H₂O system[J]. Calphad-computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams & Thermochemistry, 2015, 51:1-12.

5. Li DD, Zeng DW, Yin X, Han HJ, Guo LJ, Yao Y. Phase diagrams and thermochemical modeling of salt lake brine systems. II. NaCl+H₂O, KCl+H₂O, MgCl₂ +H₂O and CaCl₂ +H₂O systems[J]. Calphad-computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams & Thermochemistry, 2016, 53:78-89.

6. Wang LP, Feng HT, Dong YP, Peng JY, Li W. Solubility and metastable zone width of aqueous sodium dichromate dihydrate solutions in the presence of sodium chromate additive[J]. Journal of Crystal Growth, 2016, 454:105-110.

7. Lin F, Dong YP, Peng JY, Wang LP, Li W. Synthesis and formation mechanism of pinnoite by the phase transition process[J]. Phase Transitions, 2016, 89(6): 559-567.

8. Zhu DH, Nai XY, Lan SJ, Bian SJ, Liu X, Li W. Surface modification of magnesium hydroxide sulfate hydrate whiskers using a silane coupling agent by dry process[J]. Applied Surface Science, 2016, 390:25-30.

9. Jing YW, Nai XY, Zhu DH, Dang L, Wang YB, Li W. Investigation into the surface modification of aragonite whiskers[J]. Surface & Interface Analysis, 2016, 48(3):126-131.

10. Zhang B, Feng HT, Lin F, Wang YB, Wang LP, Dong YP, LiW. Superhydrophobic surface fabricated on iron substrate by black chromium electrodeposition and its corrosion resistance property[J]. Applied Surface Science, 2016, 378:388-396.

11. Chengcai Zhu, Yaping Dong, Yun Zeng, Yong Hao, Chun Wang, Naijin Dong, Wu Li. Study of lithium exploitation from carbonate subtype and sulfate type salt-type of Tibet. Hydrometallurgy. 2014, 149: 143-147. (SCI, IF=2.688)

12. Jiaoyu Peng, Yaping Dong, Liping Wang, Lili Li, Li Wu, Haitao Feng. Effect of Impurities on the Solubility, Metastable Zone Width, and Nucleation Kinetics of Borax Decahydrate. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 2014, 53: 12170-12178.

13. Shaoju Bian, Dongdong Li, Hydrometallurgical processing of lithium, potassium, and boron for the comprehensive utilization of Da Qaidam lake brine via natural evaporation. Hydrometallurgy. 2017, 173: 80-83.

14. Jiaoyu Peng. Research on boron recovery from sulfate-type saline lakes with a novel dilution method. Hydrometallurgy. 2017, 174:47-55.

15. Ruizhi Cui, Wu Li, Ya-Ping Dong, Zhen Nie. Mineral solubilities of salts in the three quaternary systems: LiCl–NaCl–MgCl₂–H₂O, LiCl–KCl–MgCl₂–H₂O and Li₂SO₄–K₂SO₄–MgSO₄–H₂O at 288.15 K. The Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics. 2019, 138: 127-139.

5. INTRODUCTION OF TEAM LEADERS

Prof. Yaping Dong, female, PhD Supervisor, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Her main interest includes: (1) comprehensive utilization of salt lake brine and mineral resources using economical, low energy consumption, and environment friendly chemical processes; (2) physical chemistry properties of boron-containing aqueous system; (3) High-value chromium (Cr) chemicals clean production technology for industrial scale and the related fundamental analytical and physical chemistry of Cr-containing aqueous system.

Prof. Dr. Wu Li, male, PhD Supervisor, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is a member (vice chair) of the Boron sub-committee of Inorganic Acid-Base-Salt Council of the Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China, member of the Committee of Chemical Thermodynamics and Thermal Analysis of Chinese Chemical Society. He is also a visiting research fellow of Key Laboratory of Saline Lake Resources and Environment Ministry of Land and Resources and China Development Bank. His main interest includes: comprehensive utilization of salt lake brine and mineral resources and R&D of inorganic whisker materials.

7. RESEARCH GROUP MEMBERS

Dong Yaping, Li Wu, Nai Xueying, Feng Haitao, Hu Bin, Liu Xin, Gao Dandan, Bian Shaoju, Peng Jiaoyu, Zhang Yaoling, Li Dongdong, Zhang Bo, Li Bo, Liang Jian, Cui Yanfeng, Cui Ruizhi, Yang Keli.