Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Separation of Co(II) and Ni(II) from Hydrochloric Acid Leach Liquor by Solvent Extraction and Crystallization

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A novel hydrometallurgical process was developed to separate cobalt and nickel from hydrochloric acid leach liquor of mixed nickel–cobalt hydroxide precipitate. After the removal of Al(III), Ca(II), Cu(II), and Fe(III) by extraction with P204, Co(II) was selectively extracted over Ni(II) and Mg(II) using N235. The extraction of cobalt can reach 99.99%, while the extraction of nickel and magnesium is both less than 1% after four-stage countercurrent extraction with an organic solution consisting of 30 vol% N235 and 15 vol% TBP in sulfonated kerosene while keeping the contact time 5 min, O/A ratio 2:1. The stripping of cobalt can reach higher than 99.99% by pure water after three-stage countercurrent stripping. The nickel chloride can be selectively precipitated by passing into HCl gas, and the purity of that meets the standard specification if the magnesium concentration was less than 24 g/L.

Graphical Abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16

References

  1. Zhang Y, Man RL, Ni WD et al (2010) Selective leaching of base metals from copper smelter slag. Hydrometallurgy 103:25–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2010.02.009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Li Y, Perederiy I, Papangelakis VG (2008) Cleaning of waste smelter slags and recovery of valuable metals by pressure oxidative leaching. J Hazard Mater 152:607–615. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2007.07.052

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Zhang CD, Hu B, Wang HG et al (2020) Recovery of valuable metals from copper slag. Min Metall Explor 37:1241–1251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-020-00224-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Donegan S (2006) Direct solvent extraction of nickel at Bulong operations. Miner Eng 19:1234–1245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2006.03.003

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Mihaylov I, Krause E, Colton DF et al (2000) The development of a novel hydrometallurgical process for nickel and cobalt recovery from Goro laterite ore. CIM Bull 93(1041):124–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-8388(00)00737-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Crundwell FK, Moats MS, Ramachandran V et al (2011) Chapter 12—precipitation of nickel−cobalt sulfide. In: Crundwell FK et al (eds) Extractive metallurgy of nickel, cobalt and platinum group metals. Elsevier, Oxford, pp 135–145

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  7. Köse CH, Topkaya YA (2011) Hydrometallurgical processing of nontronite type lateritic nickel ores by MHP process. Miner Eng 24:396–415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2010.11.010

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Harvey R, Hannah R, Vaughan J (2011) Selective precipitation of mixed nickel–cobalt hydroxide. Hydrometallurgy 105:222–228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2010.10.003

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Mackenzie M, Virnig M, Feather A (2006) The recovery of nickel from high-pressure acid leach solutions using mixed hydroxide product—LIX®84-INS technology. Miner Eng 19:1220–1233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2006.01.003

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kursunoglu S, Ichlas ZT, Kaya M (2017) Solvent extraction process for the recovery of nickel and cobalt from Caldag laterite leach solution: the first bench scale study. Hydrometallurgy 169:135–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2017.01.001

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Guan QJ, Sun W, Zhou GY et al (2016) Recovery of cobalt and nickel in the presence of magnesium and calcium from sulfate solutions by Versatic 10 and mixtures of Versatic 10 and Cyanex 301. Trans Nonferrous Met Soc China 26(3):865–873. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1003-6326(16)64178-X

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Wang LY, Lee MS (2017) Recovery of Co(II) and Ni(II) from chloride leach solution of nickel laterite ore by solvent extraction with a mixture of Cyanex 301 and TBP. J Mol Liq 240:345–350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2017.05.103

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Guimarães AS, Silva LA, Pereira AM et al (2020) Purification of concentrated nickel sulfuric liquors via synergistic solvent extraction of calcium and magnesium using mixtures of D2EHPA and Cyanex 272. Sep Purif Technol 239:116570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2020.116570

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Jones AN, Welham NJ (2010) Properties of aged mixed nickel–cobalt hydroxide intermediates produced from acid leach solutions and subsequent metal recovery. Hydrometallurgy 103:173–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2010.03.017

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Williams C, Hawker W, Vaughan JW (2013) Selective leaching of nickel from mixed nickel cobalt hydroxide precipitate. Hydrometallurgy 138:84–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2013.05.015

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Chong S, Hawker W, Vaughan J (2013) Selective reductive leaching of oxidized cobalt containing residue. Miner Eng 54:82–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2013.04.004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Shen YF, Xue WY, Niu WY (2008) Recovery of Co(II) and Ni(II) from hydrochloric acid solution of alloy scrap. Trans Nonferrous Met Soc China 18:1262–1268. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1003-6326(08)60214-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Lee MS, Oh YJ (2005) Chemical equilibria in a mixed solution of nickel and cobalt chloride. Mater Trans 46:59–63. https://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.46.59

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Zhu R, Gong Z, Jiang H (1983) Study of the cholride and sulfate complexes of nickel. J Cent S Univ 03:118–125

    Google Scholar 

  20. Majer V, Štulík K (1982) A study of the stability of alkaline-earth metal complexes with fluoride and chloride ions at various temperatures by potentiometry with ion-selective electrodes. Talanta 29:145–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/0039-9140(82)80039-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Wang LY, Lee MS (2017) Separation of Co(II) and Ni(II) from chloride leach solution of nickel laterite ore by solvent extraction with Cyanex 301. Int J Miner Process 166:45–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.minpro.2017.07.004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Cheng CY, Barnard KR, Zhang W et al (2016) Recovery of nickel, cobalt, copper and zinc in sulphate and chloride solutions using synergistic solvent extraction. Chin J Chem Eng 24:237–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjche.2015.06.002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (2020JJ4728) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Central South University (2021zzts0618; 2021zzts0607).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, China

    Changda Zhang, Bin Hu, Shijie Zhao, Zhiqin Liao & Mingyu Wang

Authors
  1. Changda Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bin Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Shijie Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Zhiqin Liao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mingyu Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mingyu Wang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

The contributing editor for this article was Hongmin Zhu.

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, C., Hu, B., Zhao, S. et al. Separation of Co(II) and Ni(II) from Hydrochloric Acid Leach Liquor by Solvent Extraction and Crystallization. J. Sustain. Metall. 8, 91–101 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40831-022-00498-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40831-022-00498-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation