Ionic Liquid Synthesis in the Sustainable Recovery of Anthracene and Barite Resources

Material flow and reuse options are critical to development, especially since waste management initiatives imbibe a systematic approach to analyse recovery options to minimise environmental impacts. This study investigates the novel use of 1-propyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (propIMIMBr) ionic liquid in the sustainable recovery of anthracene and barite derivatives in drilling waste. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were adopted to investigate the separation and recovery of barite and anthracene from a mixture using propyIMIMBr ionic liquid as a solvent. Initially, the mixture containing 0.2g of anthracene and barite underwent stirring at 1000 rpm with 2g of propyIMIMBr for 20 minutes at room temperature. This process effectively dissolved barite into the propyIMIMBr ionic liquid while keeping anthracene insoluble. Quantitatively transferring the viscous mixture to a membrane filtration apparatus facilitated the separation, with the ionic liquid and dissolved barite precipitating into a vacuum flask, leaving anthracene as a dry residue on a 50mm filter paper. Recovery of the ionic liquid involved washing the precipitate with acetone, followed by decantation and membrane filtration to remove barite traces. The residues of barite collected weighed 0.36g, indicating the presence of anthracene impurities. The precipitated ionic liquid in acetone was then dried under vacuum, yielding a dry residue. The recovered ionic liquid matched the reference spectrum closely, indicating successful recovery. However, both barite and anthracene were recovered with impurities of each other, as no organic solvent capable of dissolving both substances was available. Additionally, the solvent's viscosity hindered attempts to dissolve barite using ethanolamine. In conclusion, this study highlights the efficacy of using propyIMIMBr ionic liquid for the selective separation of barite and anthracene while suggesting areas for further optimisation and exploration in solvent choice and purification techniques.