We have developed a new recovery system of hexavalent chmmium Cr(VI) eluted from used
magnesia/chromium bricks using tannin gels.The tamin gels were produced through gelation of wattle tamin molecules derived from a natural polymer with many polyhydroxyphenyl groups by reaction with fomlaldehyde (cross-linking agent).The tamin gel was used as an absorbent to remove Cr(VI) from the waste water containing 116 mg/L Cr(VI),159 mg/L Mg(II) and 37 mg/L Na(Ⅰ),that was eluted from the used magnesia/chrominum bricks.The adsorption of Cr(VI) proceeded through the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III),the formation of carboxyl group by the oxidation of tannin molecules occurring parallel to the reduction,and the ion exchange of the
reduced Cr(III) with carboxyl group and the hydroxyl one.The adsorption process was operated by controlling pH in the waste water.At the primary stage,the pH was adjusted to pH=3 to adsorb Cr(VI) and then switched to another pH value(pH=6) to fix the reduced Cr(III) inside the tmnin gel. The concentration of Cr(VI) could be reduced below the environmental discharge regulation level (0.05 mg/L) and the total chromium (Cr(VI) and Cr(III)) could also be reduced less than 2.0 mg/L regulation level through the above operation.