Abstract
With the purpose of developing a new process for recycling nickel (Ni) directly from superalloy scraps, a fundamental study on the extraction and separation of Ni was carried out using molten zinc (Zn) as the extraction medium. In order to examine the reaction between molten Zn and the Ni-based superalloy, superalloy samples and Zn shots were heated at 1173 K (900 °C) for 6 hours. After heating, the superalloy samples fully reacted with Zn and dissolved in molten Zn. The Zn-alloyed sample obtained by slow cooling consisted of two separated upper and lower phases. In the upper part of the sample, only Zn and the Zn-Ni alloys were found; in the lower part, an intermetallic alloy consisting of refractory metals such as rhenium (Re) and tantalum (Ta) was found. This result shows that Ni and refractory metals contained in the scrap can be separated by utilizing the density differences between the Zn-Ni alloy and the refractory metals in molten Zn. Vacuum treatment of the upper part of the Zn-alloyed sample at 1173 K (900 °C) reduced the concentration of Zn in the sample from 97.0 to 0.4 mass pct. After Zn removal, a Ni alloy containing Ni with a purity of 85.3 to 86.1 mass pct and negligible quantities (<0.1 mass pct) of Re and Ta was obtained. Moreover, recovered Zn metal after distillation had a purity of more than 99.9 mass pct. Therefore, this process could be an environmentally sound recycling process that can recover Ni from superalloy scraps without the consumption of Zn or the generation of toxic wastes solutions.
Published Version
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