Pregnant Leach Solution Research Articles

Implementation of an innovative hybrid process based on electrodeionization for nickel and cobalt separation from synthetic pregnant leach solution

ABSTRACT In this study, an innovative hybrid process was proposed and examined as an alternative for nickel/cobalt separation from a synthetic pregnant leach solution. The first step was carried out by employing electrodeionization of a feed solution containing 950 ppm of nickel and 100 ppm of cobalt after adding EDTA to form (Ni-EDTA)−2 complex to suppress migration of nickel cations toward cathodic compartment. This process increased nickel percentage from 90.47 to 97 in the diluted feed solution. This solution was then subjected to cation exchanging process to adsorb the remaining cobalt cations, leading to a nickel purity of 99.7 wt% with an overall recovery 71.1%. On the other hand, the cathode rinse solution of EDI process which contained a major portion of the cobalt cations underwent three stages of extraction process using cyanex 272, resulting in recovery of 65.5 wt% of cobalt with a purity of 100%. It was seen that six stages of solvent extraction process were needed to reach the same purity of cobalt cations by the traditional extraction method. These findings highlight the superior performance of the proposed hybrid process, which not only yielded a relatively high recovery ratio but also ensured excellent purity of nickel and cobalt.

Recovery of Magnetic Ni Particles from Spent Catalyst Leachate by Direct Cementation

An alternative method based on cementation for the recovery of nickel from spent Ni/Al2O3 reforming catalyst pregnant leach solution (PLS) was proposed to overcome the limitations of traditional two-step extraction and precipitation processes. Thermodynamic analysis was used to evaluate the potential interference of key reactions, such as nickel and sacrificial metal leaching, with the selective cementation of nickel from the PLS. Key variables in the cementation process were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) combined with Box–Behnken design (BBD). Under optimal conditions—pH 2.2 ± 0.1, processing time of 15 min, and Al/Ni molar ratio of 2.65—a maximum nickel recovery of 73.2% was achieved. Extensive characterization confirmed the high quality of the cemented nickel product: (i) ICP-OES indicated nickel purity of 99.47%, (ii) XRD patterns verified the presence of pure face-centered cubic nickel, (iii) SEM-EDS and vibrating sample magnetometry confirmed the high purity of the metallic nickel particles.

Direct synthesis of nickel oxide nanoparticles from pregnant leach solution by using electrodeionization and Fenton processes in the presence of EDTA

This paper presents the results of a novel study on the direct synthesis of nickel oxide nanoparticles from a synthetic pregnant leach solution (PLS) as a middle stage product of hydrometallurgy process of nickel production. To increase the nickel proportion in the initial PLS, electrodeionization was utilized in the presence of EDTA to form an anionic complex ([Ni-EDTA]2−) with Ni2+ cations, allowing their separation from cobalt cations through the EDI process. Subsequently, the Fenton process was applied to synthesize nickel oxide nanoparticles from the complex containing solution. The proposed hybrid process was conducted in two different modes of one-stage and two-stage EDI process followed by the Fenton process. Different analysis methods including AAS, XRD, FE-SEM, and ICP were used for qualitative and quantitative evaluations. The analyses’ results revealed that by implementing one-stage EDI process followed by Fenton process resulted in producing nickel oxide nanoparticles with an average particle size of 45 nm and purity of about 98 %. Also, it was seen that about 81 % of initial nickel content of the initial PLS was recovered as nickel oxide nanoparticles. In the case of two-stage EDI process, 100 % pure nickel oxide nanoparticles with average size of 55 nm and recovery of 65 % was produced. The results showed that the innovative hybrid EDI/Fenton process can be considered as a promising approach for direct synthesis of high purity nickel oxide nanoparticles from PLS. However, it should be noted that there was a trade-off between purity of nickel oxide and nickel recovery from PLS.

Iron removal and valuable metal recovery from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) using solvent extraction after bioleaching

Our study investigated the feasibility of solvent extraction for the separation of impurities, specifically aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe) from simulated leachate with similar composition to real pregnant leach solution (PLS) obtained after the bioleaching of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The Fe2+ in the Fe-rich PLS was oxidized to Fe3+ by addition of H2O2. Subsequently, Fe3+, Al3+, Cu2+, and Mn2+ were extracted at pH 4.0 using 20 % di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) as the extractant. At this pH, 99.99 % of Al3+ and Fe3+, 93 % of Cu2+, and 83 % of Mn2+ were successfully extracted. Co-extracted Co2+ was recovered through a two-stages scrubbing process, where it was replaced with Mn2+ using a MnSO4 solution at an O/A ratio of 1:1. Finally, Al3+, Cu2+, and Mn2+ were stripped with 5 M H2SO4, and 99 % Fe3+ was separated by stripping with 100 % aqua regia. Our study presents an approach for effectively separating valuable metals and impurities, particularly Fe, by optimizing the extraction, scrubbing, and stripping stages of solvent extraction for PLS treatment. Moreover, this study emphasizes the need for further research on the pre-separation of Fe and the development of novel extractants and solvents to enhance the treatment of Fe-rich PLS after bioleaching.

Leaching Platinum Group Metals from Simulated Spent Auto-Catalyst Material Using Ozone and Hydrochloric Acid

This paper reports the development of a process for leaching Pt, Pd, and Rh from simulated spent auto-catalyst material using ozone and hydrochloric acid in order to produce a pregnant leach solution that could be fed to an industrial precious metal refinery. The effects of O3 mass flow, initial acid concentration, and temperature were investigated using a Box–Behnken experimental design with three centre-point runs and a total leach time of 6 h. Set points of 3.34, 5.01, and 6.68 g/h; 1.0 M, 3.0 M, and 5.0 M; and 30, 60, and 90 °C were used for O3 mass flow, hydrochloric acid concentration, and temperature, respectively. The optimal extractions for Pt, Pd, and Rh were 80%, 85%, and 42%, respectively, at 5.01 g/h O3, 5.0 M HCl, and 90 °C. Statistical analyses indicated high dependencies of Pd and Rh on hydrochloric acid concentration and temperature, with only Pt displaying a significant dependence on O3 mass flow.

Selective anion exchange adsorption of molybdenum(VI) at low concentrations from an acid leached vanadium shale solution containing aluminium and phosphorus

With a decline in high-grade molybdenum reserves, the development of other types of molybdenum resources have received increasing attention. Vanadium shale is a multi-metal shale and fine-grained sedimentary rock comprising small grains and various minerals. After leaching and extracting vanadium, the solution often contains a low concentration of molybdenum. However, because of the low molybdenum concentration, many processing plants treat it as an acidic wastewater, which wastes molybdenum resources and carries the risk of environmental pollution. The leaching process of vanadium shale mostly involves high-temperature and high-pressure operations, which greatly increase the content of impurity ions such as aluminium and phosphorus in the pregnant leach solution. These impurity ions increase the difficulty in separating and recovering molybdenum. In this study, the adsorption and separation of molybdenum at leach liquor of low molybdenum concentration were investigated. The effects of different factors such as: (i) pH of feed solution, (ii) adsorption time, and (iii) presence of impurity ions, aluminium and phosphorus, on the adsorption and separation of molybdenum using five different anion-exchange resins, D201, D296, D301, D314, and D301R, were investigated. The static adsorption and desorption test results showed a molybdenum adsorption capacity of 222 mg/g at pH = 1.5 by the D301 resin. The desorption efficiency using 20% NH₄OH was 96.1%. The adsorption efficiencies of aluminium and phosphorus were 1.31% and 3.10%, respectively. This is a better choice for separating molybdenum from complex solutions. The experimental results from spectra and theoretical calculations showed that the -NH group of D301 resin was combined with the O atoms of MoO3·3H2O, Al(SO4)2−, and H2PO4− by electrostatic attraction. The binding energies of these three species were − 311 kJ/mol, −231 kJ/mol, and − 62.0 kJ/mol respectively, indicating that D301 resin preferentially adsorbed MoO3·3H2O. Based on the above results, the D301 resin can adsorb molybdenum(VI) in complex solutions under low pH conditions, and this study is expected to promote the comprehensive recovery of valuable metals from vanadium shale.

Improving the efficiency of acidic eluents for elution of Scandium from Lewatit® VP OC 1026 and TP 272 solvent impregnated ion exchange resins

Scandium is a strategic element with exceptional applications however, its widespread application has been limited mainly due to its high price which itself originates from lack of enriched primary reserves. Mineralized waste materials and mine tailings collected from various mining activities often contain low amounts of Sc and rare earth elements (REE), along with much higher levels of contaminants such as Si, Fe and Al. Ion exchange resins, especially phosphorus containing solvent impregnated ones, show extremely high selectivity for quantitative adsorption of Sc from pregnant leach solutions. However, efficient and economical elution of Sc from these types of resins is still a challenge. In this study, a series of water miscible organic solvents including methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol and acetone are explored with sulfuric acid in elution of Sc at room temperature (25 °C). With the proposed binary solvent system in this study, 98% of the adsorbed Sc was eluted from VP OC 1026 (impregnated with D2EHPA) with 4 M H2SO4 in 50 vol.% 1-propanol while negligible amount of Sc could be recovered with 2 M H2SO4 even at high temperatures. Also, exceeding 97% of the loaded Sc on TP 272 (impregnated with Cyanex 272) could be successfully eluted with 6 M H2SO4 containing 50 vol.% 2-Propanol. Nevertheless, the elution efficiency of Sc from TP 272 was notably constrained, falling below 20 %, when 2 M H2SO4 was employed as the eluent. The added organic solvents also significantly increased the performance of H2SO4 in elution of Sc from the resins in columns. The addition of just 10 vol.% 2-propanol to 2 M H2SO4 led to significant increase in the elution of Sc from TP 272. The maximum concentration of Sc in the eluted fractions increased by over threefold, going from 167.0 mg/L to 532.6 mg/L, when compared to using 2 M H2SO4 under similar elution conditions.

Application of nanofiltration for the recovery of nickel glycinates from alkaline glycine-based solutions using polyamide membranes: A technical note

Glycine has been intensively investigated as a “green” lixiviant for precious and base metals. Alkaline glycine solutions to extract Ni from sulfide resources has shown promising results. However, a considerable amount of Ni will be lost in the wash solutions when leaching residues are washed during solid-liquid separation of the leachates from their respective leach residues. In this context, this study explored Ni recovery from alkaline glycine-based wash solutions using a polyamide nanofiltration membrane. In the tests using synthetic single and multi-metal solutions, the membrane achieved >95% rejection of Ni in the selected ranges of glycine/Ni molar ratio (up to 5), pressure (15–30 bar), initial nickel concentration (0.5–1.5 g/L), sodium sulfate background concentration (∼30 g/L) and under the use of different pH modifiers (aqueous ammonia and caustic soda). When using a real solution, the concentrations of Ni and other major elements (Cu, S, Co, Mg, Zn) in the final retentate increased by about 5 times at 80 wt% permeate recovery, leaving <3 mg/L major elements in permeate. The permeate stream could be recycled in the washing stage, and the retentate stream could be combined with the pregnant leach solution (PLS) for metals recovery. The investigation demonstrates some of the technical optionality for nickel recovery from filter wash solutions utilising nanofiltration within the context of alkaline glycine-based leach technology and preliminarily demonstrates where it can be used in the structure of flowsheets to recover valuable base metals and reagents for recycle. However, the increased membrane resistance causing a low permeate flux should be concerned due to the considerable dissolved salts, precipitation of gypsum and the increasing feed concentration over time.

Obtention of Suitable Pregnant Leach Solution (PLS) for Copper Solvent Extraction Plants from Copper Concentrate Using Hydrogen Peroxide and Iodine in a Sulfuric Acid–Chloride Medium

Copper leaching presents an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional sulfide ore processing methods. This study investigates an efficient leaching process for copper concentrate, utilizing a solution of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and potassium iodide (KI) in a chloride medium (NaCl), enhanced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at room temperature. A significant aspect of this research was optimizing the KI concentration to minimize iodide sublimation into iodine gas (I2). Through the experimental design, the optimal dosages of reagents were determined, leading to maximized copper extraction of approximately 27% in 45 min of testing at room temperature. The results showed that it is possible to obtain a suitable pregnant leach solution (PLS) (i.e., in the range of 3 to 8 g/L of Cu) for treatment in available copper solvent extraction (SX) plants with a cost of less than 4.5 USD/t Cu, according to the economic analysis carried out. The results of this study determine the most effective operational conditions for leaching and ensure a suitable PLS for SX plants in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner. This approach could significantly contribute to more sustainable practices in the mining and processing of copper ores.

A zero-liquid discharge process to recover all critical metals from spent NCM111 cathode material of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries: statistically optimized leaching with formic acid and in-situ crystallization

A green chemistry process has been developed to recycle cathode material from end-of-life lithium ion batteries. NCM111 (LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2) was completely leached with 13 M formic acid to produce two groups of salts with different solubilities: sparingly soluble cobalt, manganese, and nickel (CMN) formates and highly soluble lithium formate. During leaching, CMN formate salts exceeded their solubility limit in the pregnant leach solution (PLS) and crystallized. Mixed CMN formate salts were recovered by filtering the PLS. Lithium was completely recovered by evaporating the filtered PLS then thermally decomposing the lithium formate obtained in air to lithium carbonate. The purity of the lithium carbonate was 98.1 wt%.The leaching process was optimized through response surface methodology experiments. The minimum time required to completely leach NCM111 with 13 M formic acid was 30.8 h. Optimum leaching conditions were L/S = 2.81 mL/g (equivalent to S/L = 356 g/L) and T = 95 °C. During leaching, 98% of CMN formate salts exceeded their solubility limit and crystallized from the PLS.The recycling process is simple and generates no liquid or solid waste products. The only reagent is 13 M formic acid. The only by-products are water vapour, which can be condensed and reused, and carbon dioxide gas.

Investigating battery black mass leaching performance as a function of process parameters by combining leaching experiments and regression modeling

The current paper investigates the leaching phenomena of industrially produced Li-ion battery waste in hydrometallurgical recycling processes. Specifically, it studies the leaching reactions of NMC111-type (LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2) black mass, as well as the statistical behavior of cathode material leaching yields under varying process conditions. The investigated process variables include reductive agent concentrations (Fe2+, Cu, H2O2) as well as process temperature, whereas S/L ratio (200 g/L) and initial acidity (2 M H2SO4) were kept constant. At lower temperatures (T = 30 °C), copper was found to act as the predominant reductant, enabled by the presence of sufficient solution iron concentrations (≥0.4 g/L Fe). Conversely, at higher temperatures (T ≥ 50 °C), the reductive capability of aluminum was substantially increased due to its decreased tendency for passivation. In contrast to copper, dissolved iron did not notably affect the reductive behavior of aluminum. The efficiency of metallic reductants initially present within the black mass was high, reaching cathode metal leaching yields above 90 % at 70 °C. A predictive leaching model for black mass leaching yields was built via regression analysis and can be used to indicate pregnant leach solution (PLS) composition – via leaching yields – after two hours of processing as a function of the investigated process variables. The model showed leaching temperature to be the most impactful parameter, while also indicating a higher reductive efficiency of copper when compared to equimolar additions of H2O2. As a case example, LFP (LiFePO4) cathode powder was also investigated as an alternative reductant/catalysis species (Fe2+) source in the system and was found to increase cathode metal leaching yields almost as much as FeSO4 while also resulting in a remarkable increase in Al dissolution in the process.

Copper sulfide precipitation from alkaline monosodium glutamate solutions

Recent studies of metal leaching using monosodium glutamate have shown promising results of this being an alternative to conventional leaching reagents. However, limited information is available covering the treatment of leaching solutions and the final recovery of metals. In this regard, this article presents an experimental study on the precipitation of copper from glutamate solutions using sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), as a simple and efficient route for the processing of leaching solutions from this new system. Synthetic pregnant leach solutions (PLS) with varying copper total concentrations [CuT] and glutamate concentrations were used. The effects of [CuT], [CuT]:[NaHS] molar ratio and glutamate concentration on the particle size distribution and copper recovery were investigated. The results revealed that higher [CuT] led to smaller particle sizes, with the P90 decreasing from 106 µm to 60.7 µm and 73.2 µm for Cu concentrations of 1 g/L, 2.5 g/L, and 5 g/L, respectively. The [CuT]:[NaHS] molar ratio reduced the P90 particle size, from 60.7 µm to 56.4 µm and 7.44 µm as the molar ratio increased from 1:0.8 to 1:1 and 1:1.2, respectively. Copper recovery from glutamate solutions increased with higher molar ratios, achieving values of 70.95 %, 88.24 %, and 99.55 % for molar ratios of 1:0.8, 1:1, and 1:1.2, respectively, agreeing with copper recovery values of other chemical systems. The glutamate concentration had minimal impact on particle size but affected copper recovery, with a decrease from 88.24 % to 85.83 % when increasing the glutamate concentration from 0.5 M to 1 M. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the presence of pure covellite with hexagonal phase in the precipitates. These findings contribute to understanding copper precipitation dynamics from glutamate solutions using NaHS and have implications for optimizing copper recovery processes in the perspectives of the advent of alkaline leaching of copper ores.

Unveiling the Mechanism in Nickel Loss During the Neutralization of Pregnant Acid Leach Solution by Various Alkaline Chemicals Using Electron Imaging, X-Ray Diffraction, and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy Analyses

ABSTRACT Removal of iron and aluminum from nickel-bearing pregnant leach solution is imperative prior to recovering nickel. However, the mechanisms into the loss of both nickel and cobalt in precipitate products during the neutralization process remained unclear and debatable. In this study, the precipitation ratios of nickel, as well as other valuable metals in iron precipitate products, were investigated by examining bulk and surface properties of iron precipitates using X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy. Amorphous ferrihydrite was identified as the major phase for iron precipitates. Over 99% precipitation ratio for iron and aluminum was achieved at pH 3. The loss of nickel in iron precipitates was strongly dependent on solution pHs, and the losses of nickel were found to be 3%, 8%, and 28% at pHs of 3, 4, and 5, respectively. The type of alkaline chemicals impacted the mineralogical composition of iron precipitate products and loss of valuable metals but had a minor impact on iron precipitation ratio. This work revealed three major mechanisms for the loss of nickel and cobalt during iron precipitation process: (1) entrainment of nickel-bearing PLS in filtered products, (2) surface adsorption on iron precipitates, and (3) lattice incorporation of nickel in iron precipitates. Additionally, the result of desorption experiments by H+ and Na+ ions showed that approximately 55–85% of lost nickel was incorporated within the lattice structure of iron precipitates, while the degree of nickel incorporation depends on the type of neutralizing reagents, precipitation conditions, and washing media.

Crosslinked Polydiallyldimethylammonium Chloride Adsorbent for the Selective Separation of Rhenium Ions from Pregnant Leach Solutions.

The depletion of valuable mineral reserves has rendered effluents generated from mining and industrial processing activities a promising resource for the production of precious elements. The synthesis and improvement of new adsorbents to extract valuable compounds from industrial wastes and pregnant leach solutions, besides increasing wealth, can play a significant role in reducing environmental concerns. In this work, a new and low-cost adsorbent for the selective extraction of rhenium (perrhenate ions, ReO4-) was synthesized by the free-radical polymerization (FRP) of a diallyl dimethylammonium chloride monomer (quaternary amine) in the presence of a crosslinker. Various methods were employed to characterize the polymeric adsorbent. The results revealed that the designed polymeric adsorbent had a high surface area and pores with nano-metric dimensions and a pore volume of 6.4 × 10-3 cm3/g. Four environments-single, binary, multicomponent, and real solutions-were applied to evaluate the adsorbent's performance in the selective separation of Re. Additionally, these environments were used to understand the behavior of molybdenum ions, the primary competitors of perrhenate ions in the ion exchange process. In competitive conditions, using variations in qe,mix/qe, an antagonism phenomenon (qe,mix/qe < 1) occurred due to the inhibitory effect of surface-adsorbed molybdenum ions on the binding of the perrhenate ions. However, across all conditions, the separation values for Re were higher than those for the other studied elements (Mo, Cu, Fe).

Extraction of Copper from Pregnant Leach Solution (PLS) and Reduction of Crud Formation

ABSTRACT Presented universal recommendations for the reduction of crud formation, reviewing various aspects affecting the loss of diluent and extractant due to the formation of a third phase (crud), encountered in many hydrometallurgical plants using copper solvent extraction. In this paper introduce the reasons of the crud formation , description of the stable emulsions containing solid particles and choice of technological scheme. An analysis of operations to be considered in the operation of copper solvent extraction plants is presented, due to the deterioration of copper grade below 0.5% in ore and the increase in aluminum content up to 20–25%. Results of use of extraction properties of modified extractants of ACCORGA series and unmodified extractant Lix984N on pregnant leached solution of the most important deposits (Almaly and Aktogay) are given. It is established that for solutions of Almaly deposit, ACCORGA5640 and unmodified Lix984 extractants have high selectivity to copper. Distribution of iron, silica, and copper ions during extraction was studied, and it was found that high selectivity to copper/iron and copper/silica is possessed by extractant Lix 984N, ACCORGA5640. It was found that for solutions of the Aktogay deposit, the ratio of interphase suspension in both extractants is the same, and phase separation in experiments with the use of extractant Lix 984N was 10 s shorter with the use of extractant ACCORGA5640. It was found that the addition of ACCORGACR60 reagent in the amount of 5-10 ppm also leads to a decrease in the volume of crud by 13%, for a stronger suppression of crud.

Gold recovery from cyanidation residue by chloride leaching and carbon adsorption – Preliminary results from CICL process

There is a vast amount of globally underutilized low-grade mine tailings and leach residues, including those from primary processing of gold. In this research, the target is to recover the remaining gold (10.9 g/t) from weathered refractory iron-rich residue that had previously been subject to autoclave oxidation, subsequent cyanidation in a conventional carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuit as well as storage at tailings area. Chloride leaching has been considered as one of the most promising cyanide-free gold leaching methods and it has shown positive outcomes in treating primary gold ores, concentrates, and flotation tailings. Therefore, in the current study, the iron-rich residue investigated was subjected to chloride leaching combined with simultaneous carbon adsorption. The investigated parameters included leaching time (2–8 h), chloride concentration ([Cl−] = 0.2–5 M), type and concentration of oxidant ([Cu2+]/[Fe3+] = 0.1–1 M), as well as type and concentration of activated carbon (14–25 g/L), whereas S/L ratio (100 g/L), acidity (pH = 1), and temperature (90 °C) were kept constant. Leaching results indicate that up to 40% of the remaining gold could still be recovered from the investigated residue with optimized chloride leaching. According to the results, the most important parameter for gold recovery was the leaching time. Moreover, of the studied oxidants, cupric ions were shown to contribute more to gold recovery when compared to ferric ions (35% vs. 24% at [Cu2+]/[Fe3+] = 0.1 M). Nevertheless, an increase of cupric concentration from 0.1 M (low-concentrated) to 0.5 M, resulted in only a slight increase in gold recovery (from 36% to 40%), whereas no further improvement in gold recovery was achieved with a 1 M cupric concentration. Two studied activated carbon products showed equal effectiveness in gold adsorption. In-situ carbon adsorption was shown to occur effectively in chloride media, as all dissolved gold could be detected in the activated carbon, and the concentration of remaining gold in the pregnant leach solution was minimal (< 0.02 mg/L). These findings indicate that low-concentrated chloride leaching of leach residues from industrial gold processes can allow an enhanced recovery of gold from previously mined and treated raw materials.

The green reductive leaching of manganiferous iron ore and Mn3O4 nanoparticles production: Kinetic modeling and comparison of various reductants

BackgroundSecuring critical metals is crucial for the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies. In this regard, extracting metals from various sources and low-grade ores can lead to the sustainable production of metals. Manganese, as a strategic metal, can play a significant role in achieving this goal. MethodsIn this study, various reductants such as oxalic acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid, acetic acid, tannic acid, hydrogen peroxide, iron (II) sulfate, sodium thiosulfate, and DL-malic acid were used to evaluate the feasibility and comparison on the manganiferous iron ore leaching. Significant findingsDL-malic acid was chosen as the main reductant to investigate other factors because it is novel (as a reductant), eco-friendly, cost-effective, accessible, and easily storable. Therefore, more detailed studies on the dissolution of manganiferous iron ore in the presence of DL-malic acid as the reductant were carried out considering different levels of temperature, particle size, acid concentrations, and leaching time. Increasing the temperature from 298 K to 348 K notably boosted the leaching recovery from 27.00 % to 70.11 %. It was observed that decreasing the ore particle size from -212 μm to -38 μm resulted in an enhancement of leaching recovery from 57.74 % to 70.11 %. Also, adding only 250 % stoichiometry of DL-malic acid notably increased the leaching recovery to 70.11 %, compared to just 5.32 % in a reductant-free medium. It should be noted that the concentration of sulfuric acid had a direct impact on leaching recovery, increasing by 28.28 % with a concentration of 0.5 M and by 93.08 % with a concentration of 4 M. In this research work, the kinetic of the leaching process was modeled using the modified shrinking core model (MSCM). The calculated activation energy was about 33 kJ/mole, which confirmed that the mixed mechanism controlled the reaction. Mn3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized using a pregnant leach solution (PLS) and through a multi-stage co-precipitation method. In this method, hydrogen peroxide was used to modify the manganese hydroxide phase as a more eco-friendly method than other heat treatment methods. The SEM and EDX analyses revealed an average particle size of 80 nm with spherical shapes and no impurities. The XRD pattern of the synthesized nanoparticles confirmed the Mn3O4 phase composition.

Atmospheric hydrochloric and nitric acid leaching of a limonite ore from the Wolo mine area, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

The atmospheric acid leaching studies of a limonite ore sample from the Wolo mine area, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, have been performed using hydrochloric acid (HCl) and nitric acid (HNO3). The objectives of these studies were to compare the leaching degree of metals (Ni, Co, Fe, and Al) and to analyze the dissolution behavior of minerals under different acid concentrations. Mineralogical characterization of the ore sample was conducted using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction, whereas chemical composition was determined by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), respectively. An atmospheric leaching test was done with the variables of acid concentration, leaching duration of 90 min, and leaching temperature of 100℃. Limonite ore samples contain goethite, gibbsite, talc, quartz, and lizardite. It was revealed that as much as 92.22% of Ni and 90.14% of Fe could be leached using 3 M HCl, whereas only 63.14% of Ni and 38.74% of Fe could be extracted from limonite ore using 3 M HNO3. The higher leaching degree of Fe in HCl indicates low selectivity with Ni, which might contaminate pregnant leach solution (PLS), leading to further complications in the purification process. Results of the leaching experiment show that goethite was more easily dissolved in HCl than in HNO3.

Electrochemical Behavior of Carbon Steel ASTM A36 in Diluted Pregnant Leach Solutions from Electrowinning of Copper

Electrochemical Behavior of Carbon Steel ASTM A36 in Diluted Pregnant Leach Solutions from Electrowinning of Copper

Selective Recovery of Scandium (Sc) from Sulfate Solution of Bauxite Residue Leaching Using Puromet MTS9580 Ion-Exchange Sorption

Rare earth elements (REEs) and Sc are concentrated in aluminum production byproducts. The novel REEs recovery approach, which involves leaching with acid at a pH &gt; 3 in the presence of MgSO4, results in the formation of a pregnant leach solution (PLS) with a low concentration of iron (Fe) and titanium (Ti) and a large number of valuable elements. This work studies the application of chelating resin Puromet MTS9580 in the sorption recovery of Sc from sulfate solutions. To analyze the static Sc sorption data, Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherm models were used. The Langmuir isotherm model was the best fitted to the experimental data, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.983. The dynamic adsorption experiment was conducted using a PLS and a simulated solution without contaminants. Adsorption of Sc from the simulated solution was better fitted to the Thomas model with a Sc capacity greater than 6.4 mg mL−1. Because Ti had a gradual decrease in C/C0, which the Thomas model was unable to simulate, the modified dose-response (MDR) model fitted better with PLS with a Sc capacity greater than 3.8 mg mL−1. The NaHCO3 solution (200 g L−1) effectively desorbed Sc (&gt;98%) from simulated and PLS solutions after 1.5 h of stirring in a batch mode. After 1.5 h of desorption, the concentration of Sc in the desorption solution was 461.5 mg L−1, while the concentration of Mg and Ti was lower than 200 mg L−1 and 50 mg L−1, respectively.