Nickel solvent extraction from cold purification filter cakes of Angouran mine concentrate using LIX984N

Abstract

Cold purification filter cakes generated in the hydrometallurgical processing of Angouran mine zinc concentrate commonly contain significant amounts of Zn, Cd, and Ni ions and thus are valuable resources for metal recovery. In this research, a nickel containing solution that was obtained from sulfuric acid leaching of the filter cake following cadmium and zinc removal was subjected to solvent extraction experiments using 10vol% LIX984N diluted in kerosene. Under optimum experimental conditions (pH 5.3, volume ratio of organic/aqueous (O:A) = 2:1, and contact time = 5 min), more than 97.1% of nickel was extracted. Nickel was stripped from the loaded organic by contacting with a 200 g/L sulfuric acid solution, from which 77.7% of nickel was recovered in a single contact at the optimum conditions (pH 1–1.5, O:A = 5:1, and contact time = 15 min).

Keywords

nickel / solvent extraction / zinc ore treatment / metal recovery / waste utilization

References

[1] Marcus Y, SenGupta AK. Ion Exchange and Solvent Extraction: A Series of Advances, 2002, 15, 143

[2] Nogueira CA, Delmas F. New flowsheet for the recovery of cadmium, cobalt and nickel from spent Ni-Cd batteries by solvent extraction. Hydrometallurgy, 1999, 52(3): 267.

[3] Vuyyuru KR, Pant KK, Krishnan VV, Nigam KDP. Recovery of nickel from spent industrial catalysts using chelating agents. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2010, 49(5): 2014.

[4] Gupta B, Deep A, Tandon SN. Recovery of chromium and nickel from industrial waste. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2002, 41(12): 2948.

[5] Siva JE, Paiva AP, Soares D, Labrincha A, Castro F. Solvent extraction applied to the recovery of heavy metals from galvanic sludge. J. Hazard. Mater., 2005, 120(1–3): 113

[6] Devi NB, Nathsarma KC, Chakravortty V. Separation and recovery of cobalt(II) and nickel(II) from sulphate solutions using sodium salts of D2EHPA, PC 88A and Cyanex 272. Hydrometallurgy, 1998, 49(1–2): 47.

[7] Reddy BR, Priya DN, Park KH. Separation and recovery of cadmium(II), cobalt(II) and nickel(II) from sulphate leach liquors of spent Ni-Cd batteries using phosphorus based extractants. Sep. Purif. Technol., 2006, 50(2): 161.

[8] Reddy BR, Bhaskara Sarma PVR. Transfer of nickel from sodium sulphate solutions to the spent electrolyte through solvent extraction and stripping. Hydrometallurgy, 2001, 60(2): 123.

[9] Bhaskara Sarma PVR, Reddy BR. Liquid-liquid extraction of nickel at macro-level concentration from sulphate/chloride solutions using phosphoric acid based extractants. Miner. Eng., 2002, 15(6): 461.

[10] Park YJ, Fray DJ. Separation of zinc and nickel ions in a strong acid through liquid-liquid extraction. J. Hazard. Mater., 2009, 163(1): 259.

[11] Singh R, Khawaja AR, Gupta B, Tandon SN. Extraction and separation of nickel(II) using bis(2,4,4-trimethyl pentyl) dithiophosphinic acid (Cyanex301) and its recovery from spent catalyst and electroplating bath residue. Solvent Extr. Ion Exch., 1999, 17(2): 367.

[12] Jacobs JJ, Allard M, Behmo S, Moreau J. Nickel and Cobalt Extraction Using Organic Compounds, 1985, California, Pergamon InfoLine

[13] Merigold CR. Lix Reagent Solvent Extraction Plant Operating Manual, 1996 2nd Ed.

[14] Aliguacil FJ, Cobo A. Solvent extraction equilibrium of nickel with LIX 54. Hydrometallurgy, 1998, 48(3): 291.

[15] Parija C, Reddy BR, Bhaskara Sarma PVR. Recovery of nickel from solutions containing ammonium sulphate using LIX 84-I. Hydrometallurgy, 1998, 49(3): 255.

[16] Gotfryd L, Pietek G. Contaminants of post-leaching copper solutions and their behavior during extraction with industrial extractants. Physicochem. Probl. Miner. Process., 2013, 49(1): 133

[17] Rodríguez de San Miguel E, Aguilar JC, Bernal JP, Ballinas ML, Rodríguez MTJ, de Gyves J, Chimmel K. Extraction of Cu (II), Fe (III), Ga (III), Ni (II), In (III), Co (II), Zn (II) and Pb (II) with LIX® 984 dissolved in n-heptane. Hydrometallurgy, 1997, 47(1): 19.

[18] Li LQ, Zhong H, Cao ZF, Yuan L. Recovery of copper(II) and nickel(II) from plating wastewater by solvent extraction. Chin. J. Chem. Eng., 2011, 19(6): 926.

[19] M.T. Draa and M. Benamor, Extraction equilibrium of Zn(II) and Ni(II) with LIX984, [in] Proceedings of the International Solvent Extraction Conference (ISEC), South Africa, 2002, p. 976.