Process for separating copper and/or nickel from cobalt containing solutions
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to a process for the recovery of cobalt comprising: (i) providing a high tenor cobalt solution wherein the high tenor cobalt solution comprises cobalt and nickel; (ii) contacting the high tenor cobalt solution with an N-(2-hydroxypropyl)picolylamine resin to load the N-(2-hydroxypropyl)picolylamine resin with cobalt and nickel; (iii) eluting the cobalt from the loaded N-(2-hydroxypropyl)picolylamine resin; and (iv) eluting the nickel from the loaded N-(2-hydroxypropyl)picolylamine resin.
1. A process for the recovery of cobalt comprising:
i. providing a high tenor cobalt solution from a cobalt refinery having at least 10 g/L of cobalt, wherein the high tenor cobalt solution additionally comprises nickel,
ii. contacting the high tenor cobalt solution with an N-(2-hydroxypropyl)picolylamine resin to load the N-(2-hydroxypropyl)picolylamine resin with cobalt and nickel;
iii. selectively eluting the cobalt with an eluent from the loaded N-(2-hydroxypropyl)picolylamine resin; and
iv. after said step iii, selectively eluting the nickel from the loaded N-(2-hydroxypropyl)picolylamine resin.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein the pH of said eluent is less than or equal to 2 during said step iii.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein the high tenor cobalt solution further comprises copper.
4. The process of claim 3 wherein the cobalt, copper, and nickel are eluted by acid gradient elution.
5. The process of claim 3 wherein the process is continuous.
6. The process of claim 1 wherein the process is continuous.
7. The process of claim 1 wherein the cobalt and nickel are eluted by acid gradient elution.
8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cobalt is eluted with sulfuric acid.