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Nickel recovery from spent nickel catalyst
Kamala K Sahu1, Archana Agarwal, Banshi D Pandey
1National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, India. drkksahu@yahoo.com
Summary
This study presents an efficient hydro-metallurgical process for recovering nickel from spent catalysts. The method achieves high nickel extraction and recovery, yielding valuable nickel sulphide and oxalate products.
Area of Science:
- Metallurgical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Spent catalysts represent a significant source of valuable metals.
- Efficient recovery of nickel from these complex matrices is crucial for resource sustainability.
- Existing hydro-metallurgical methods may face challenges with specific catalyst compositions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and optimize a hydro-metallurgical process for nickel recovery from a specific spent catalyst.
- To investigate the kinetics and influencing factors of nickel dissolution.
- To produce value-added nickel compounds.
Main Methods:
- Direct sulfuric acid leaching of the spent catalyst.
- Separation of iron, silica, and other impurities.
- Optimization of leaching parameters (temperature, acid concentration, particle size, pulp density).
- Nickel recovery via precipitation as sulfide and oxalate.
Main Results:
- Achieved approximately 98% nickel extraction at optimal conditions (363 K, 8% H2SO4, 10% pulp density, 152 µm particle size).
- Nickel dissolution followed diffusion-controlled leaching kinetics.
- Activation energy for nickel dissolution determined as 62.8 kJ mol⁻¹.
- Overall nickel recovery as sulfide and oxalate was 90% and 88%, respectively.
Conclusions:
- The developed hydro-metallurgical process is effective for high-yield nickel recovery from spent catalysts.
- Optimized leaching parameters and understanding kinetics are key to efficient metal extraction.
- The process enables the production of marketable nickel products, enhancing economic viability.