Method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021262060-A1
Application number	US-201917252354-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 21, 2019
Priority date	Jun 27, 2018
Publication date	Aug 26, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a method for efficiently separating copper from nickel and cobalt from a sulfide containing nickel and cobalt together with copper. The present invention is a method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt, the method comprising pulverizing a sulfide containing copper and nickel and cobalt into a predetermined size and then stirring the resultant product under the condition having an oxidation-reduction potential (a reference electrode: a silver/silver chloride electrode) of less than 100 mV using an acid solution to perform a leaching treatment. In this separation method, a leach liquor in which nickel and cobalt are leached and a leach residue containing copper sulfate are produced as the result of the leaching treatment.

First claim

1 . A method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt, wherein a sulfide comprising copper, nickel and cobalt is pulverized to a predetermined size, and the pulverized sulfide is subjected to a leaching treatment by stirring the pulverized sulfide in an acid solution under a condition wherein a redox potential (reference electrode: silver/silver chloride electrode) is less than 100 mV.

2 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 1 , wherein the leaching treatment produces a leachate in which nickel and cobalt are leached, and a leach residue comprising copper sulfide.

3 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 1 , wherein the sulfide is pulverized so as to have a particle size of 150 μm or less as a D90 value.

4 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 1 , wherein the leaching treatment is performed at an acid solution temperature in a range of 60° C. or more and less than 100° C.

5 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 1 , wherein a hydrochloric acid solution or a sulfuric acid solution is used as the acid solution.

6 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 1 , wherein the sulfide is nickel matte.

7 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 2 , wherein the sulfide is pulverized so as to have a particle size of 150 μm or less as a D90 value.

8 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 2 , wherein the leaching treatment is performed at an acid solution temperature in a range of 60° C. or more and less than 100° C.

9 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 3 , wherein the leaching treatment is performed at an acid solution temperature in a range of 60° C. or more and less than 100° C.

10 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 7 , wherein the leaching treatment is performed at an acid solution temperature in a range of 60° C. or more and less than 100° C.

11 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 2 , wherein a hydrochloric acid solution or a sulfuric acid solution is used as the acid solution.

12 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 3 , wherein a hydrochloric acid solution or a sulfuric acid solution is used as the acid solution.

13 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 4 , wherein a hydrochloric acid solution or a sulfuric acid solution is used as the acid solution.

14 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 7 , wherein a hydrochloric acid solution or a sulfuric acid solution is used as the acid solution.

15 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 8 , wherein a hydrochloric acid solution or a sulfuric acid solution is used as the acid solution.

16 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 2 , wherein the sulfide is nickel matte.

17 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 3 , wherein the sulfide is nickel matte.

18 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 4 , wherein the sulfide is nickel matte.

19 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 5 , wherein the sulfide is nickel matte.

20 . The method for separating copper from nickel and cobalt according to claim 7 , wherein the sulfide is nickel matte.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Metal Mining Co

Inventors

• Higaki Tatsuya
• Takenouchi Hiroshi
• Kobayashi Hiroshi

Classifications

• Y02P10/20

  Recycling · CPC title

• C22B23/00

  Obtaining nickel or cobalt · CPC title

• C22B23/043

  Sulfurated acids or salts thereof · CPC title

• C22B23/0415 Primary

  with acids or salt solutions except ammonium salts solutions · CPC title

• C22B3/10

  Hydrochloric acid {, other halogenated acids or salts thereof} · CPC title