Extraction of molybdenum and vanadium from the spent diesel exhaust catalyst by ammonia leaching method

Molybdenum (Mo) and vanadium (V) were effectively extracted from the spent diesel exhaust catalyst (V2O5-MoO3/TiO2) by using an ammonia leaching method. Meanwhile, the structure of the spent catalyst carrier (TiO2) was not destroyed and might be reused. The effects of ammonia (NH3 · H2O) concentration, leaching temperature and time, concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and liquid to solid ratio on the extraction of Mo and V were systematically investigated. It is shown that the extraction efficiency of Mo increased from 68.68% to 96.45% while the extraction efficiency of V remained stable at 27% with increasing ammonia concentration from 2.95 to 7.38 mol/L, leaching temperature from 298.15 to 473.15K, and reaction time from 1 to 8h. With the concentration of H2O2 solution increasing from 1.0 to 2.5 mol/L, the extraction efficiency of V increased from 26.87% to 39.73%. Under the optimum conditions (the ammonia concentration of 4.5 mol/L, leaching temperature of 413.15K, reaction time of 2h, the H2O2 solution concentration of 1.0 mol/L and the liquid to solid ratio of 20/1 mL/g), the extraction efficiencies of Mo and V reached 95.13% and 46.25%. Moreover, the catalyst carrier TiO2 with anatase crystal phase was also obtained.