Process integration for material synthesis from a deactivated catalyst: Studies on the interaction of metal ions...

Present investigation deals with the treatment of deactivated Co-Mn bromide catalyst for the recovery of Co and Mn as Co metal powder and chemical manganese dioxide by an integrated process comprising of a selective metal ion transfer from an aqueous solution containing a mixture of metal ions with a saponified solution of di-2ethyl-hexyl phosphoric acid, followed by selective scrubbing and metal stripping. The pure metal solutions so obtained were subjected to precipitation and hydrothermal treatment to obtain a desired material. The deactivated catalyst was leached by H₂SO₄ in presence of H₂O₂ followed by removing Fe, Si etc. The purified leach liquor of composition: 6.9g/L Co, 9.4g/L Mn was used for detail study to optimize the best conditions for the separation of Co from Mn. Experimental observations show that the extraction of both increased with increasing equilibrium pH and the concentration of the organic, with a separation factor of about 10, at equilibrium pH of 3. A quantitative extraction of Mn was possible with 20% D2EHPA in three stage counter-current extraction. After Co scrubbing, Mn was stripped with dilute H₂SO₄ and high pure spherical shaped CMD was produced. Co in the raffinate was recovered as powder by hydrothermal H₂- reduction.