Recovering iron, nickel, or cobalt from sulfate solution

US4006215A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The International Nickel Company, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Rotrou A. Hall · Mississauga, CA
• William Jones · Cambridge, GB
• Kohur N. Subramanian · Mississauga, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 26, 1975
• Grant date: Feb 1, 1977
• Expiry date: Sep 26, 1995

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P10/20
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Sulfate solutions containing at least one valuable metal from the group: Fe, Ni and Co, particularly solutions resulting from the leaching of lateritic ores or concentrates, are treated to recover the valuable metal. The latter is precipitated by treating the solution with magnesium hydroxide. The resulting magnesium-containing solution is treated with lime under controlled conditions to precipitate relatively fine particles of magnesium hydroxide and relatively coarse particles of gypsum. The difference in particle size is relied on to separate the magnesium hydroxide (for recycling) from the gypsum (which is calcined to regenerate lime).