Thermal Processing of Iron Sand as a Low-Cost Zero-Valent Iron Precursor for Groundwater Remediation

This dataset supports a study evaluating whether iron sand from Pantai Panjang (Panjang Beach), Bengkulu, Indonesia, can serve as a low-cost, locally sourced zero-valent iron (ZVI) precursor for groundwater remediation. The underlying hypothesis is that a reagent-free thermal processing route can modify the mineralogy of iron sand without raising its reactive iron (Fe) content above the pre-heating baseline, thereby preserving the composition required for a usable ZVI precursor. Data were gathered experimentally from eight sand samples collected by proportional random sampling along the beach to capture spatial variation in iron content. Each sample was dried, weighed to a 50 g target, magnetically separated, and heated at two power levels (300 W, 300–420 °C; 600 W, 430–500 °C). Mass was recorded at four stages: after drying, after magnetic separation, after 300 W heating, and after 600 W heating. Elemental composition—iron (Fe), the balance fraction (Bal = Si + Al), titanium (Ti), and 14 trace elements—was measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) before heating and after heating at 350 °C and 450 °C. The dataset comprises: (1) X-ray fluorescence (XRF) elemental composition results before and after thermal processing, (2) sample mass measurements across all processing stages, (3) list of required research equipment, and (4) documentation of the experimental procedure. Notable findings: heating produced a consistent inverse relationship between Fe and Bal—Fe declined as Si + Al increased—while Ti remained stable (4.2–6.4%) and all trace elements stayed below 1%. Samples 3, 4, 5, and 8 showed a clean monotonic Fe decline; Samples 1, 2, and 6 rebounded slightly at 450 °C but stayed below their pre-heating Fe. Because post-heating Fe did not exceed the pre-heating baseline, Samples 1–6 and 8 retained a usable precursor composition; only Sample 7, whose Fe rose above baseline, was excluded. How to interpret and use the data: pre-heating Fe indicates starting feedstock quality, while post-heating values show how thermal conditions redistribute Fe relative to the silicate matrix. A sample is treated as a viable ZVI precursor when its post-heating Fe remains at or below the pre-heating level. Researchers can use the data to compare thermal processing conditions, assess the spatial heterogeneity of coastal iron sand, benchmark XRF-based screening of ZVI feedstocks, or design follow-up work (e.g., XRD/SEM phase analysis and direct ZVI reactivity testing). The data are descriptive: no statistical software was applied, so values should be read as comparative measurements across stages and heating conditions rather than as inferential statistics.本数据集支撑一项旨在评估印度尼西亚明古鲁省潘让海滩（Pantai Panjang）铁砂能否作为低成本、本地获取的零价铁（ZVI）前驱体，用于地下水修复的研究。其核心假说为：无需添加试剂的热加工路径，可在不使活性铁（Fe）含量超过加热前基线的前提下改变铁砂的矿物组成，从而保留可作为合格零价铁前驱体所需的成分比例。 实验数据采自沿海滩按比例随机采样获取的8份砂样，以覆盖铁含量的空间变异特征。每份样品均经干燥、称重至50g目标质量、磁选分离，随后以两种功率级别进行加热：300W（对应温度300–420℃）、600W（对应温度430–500℃）。在四个阶段记录样品质量：干燥后、磁选分离后、300W加热后、600W加热后。分别在加热前、350℃加热后及450℃加热后，通过X射线荧光光谱（XRF）测定元素组成：包括铁（Fe）、平衡组分（Bal = Si + Al）、钛（Ti）以及14种痕量元素。 本数据集包含：(1) 热加工前后的X射线荧光光谱（XRF）元素组成结果；(2) 各加工阶段的样品质量测量数据；(3) 所需实验设备清单；(4) 实验流程文档。 重要研究发现：加热处理后，Fe与平衡组分（Bal）呈现稳定的负相关关系——即Fe含量随Si+Al占比升高而降低，而Ti含量保持稳定（4.2–6.4%），所有痕量元素含量均低于1%。其中，样品3、4、5、8的Fe含量呈现干净的单调下降趋势；样品1、2、6在450℃加热后Fe含量略有回升，但仍低于加热前基线水平。由于加热后Fe含量未超过加热前基线，样品1–6及8均保留了合格前驱体的成分组成；仅样品7的Fe含量超出基线，被排除在外。 数据解读与使用方式：加热前的Fe含量可反映原料初始品质，而加热后的值则可体现热条件如何相对于硅酸盐基质重新分配Fe含量。当样品加热后的Fe含量等于或低于加热前水平时，即可视为合格的零价铁前驱体。研究人员可利用该数据集对比热加工条件、评估海岸铁砂的空间异质性、为基于XRF的零价铁原料筛选提供基准参考，或设计后续研究（如X射线衍射/扫描电镜物相分析及直接零价铁反应性测试）。本数据集为描述性数据，未应用统计软件进行分析，因此各数值应被视为不同阶段及加热条件下的对比测量结果，而非推断性统计数据。