PROCESS FOR THE RECOVERY OF METALS FROM COBALT-BEARING MATERIALS

• Main Authors: CRIVITS TIJL, VERMEULEN ISABEL, COECK LUC, SUETENS THOMAS, BALTES MICHAEL, OOSTERHOF HARALD, HACCURIA ELIEN
• Format: Patent
• Language: Chinese; English
• Published: 16.06.2020
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; METALLURGY; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS; PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS

A process is divulged for the recovery of metals from a metal-bearing material containing, in oxidized form, more than 1% of Co, a total of Co and Ni of more than 15%, and more than 1% Mg, comprisingthe step of: smelting said metal-bearing material in a bath furnace together with slag formers, thereby producing an alloy phase with more than 80%, preferably more than 90% of the Co, and less than 1% of the Mg, and a slag phase, by applying reducing smelting conditions, and by selecting CaO, S1O2, and Al203 as slag formers, in amounts so as to obtain a final slag composition according to the ratio's 0.25<Si02/AI203<2.5, 0.5<Si02/CaO<2.5, and to MgO>10%; and, separating the alloy phase from the slag phase. This process ensures the quantitative recovery of Co in an alloy phase along with othermetals such as Ni, while collecting Mg into a slag. Being free of Mg, the obtained alloy can be economically refined by using hydrometallurgical techniques, in particular for the preparation of precursors for use as cathode m