A process disclosed herein is related to the isolation and purification of substantially pure chemicals, including silica gel, sodium silicate, aluminum silicate, iron oxide, and rare earth elements (or rare earth metals, REEs), from massive industrial waste coal ash. In one embodiment, the process includes a plurality of caustic extractions of coal ash at an elevated temperature, followed by an acidic treatment to dissolve aluminum silicate and REEs. The dissolved aluminum silicate is precipitated out by pH adjustment as a solid product while REEs remain in the solution. REEs are captured and enriched using an ion exchange column. Alternatively, the solution containing aluminum silicate and REEs is heated to produce silica gel, which is easily separated from the enriched REEs solution. REEs are then isolated and purified from the enriched solution to afford substantially pure individual REE by a ligand-assisted chromatography. Additionally, a simplified process using one caustic extraction and one acidic extraction with an ion exchange process was also investigated and optimized to afford a comparable efficiency.

A process disclosed herein is related to the isolation and purification of substantially pure chemicals, including silica gel, sodium silicate, aluminum silicate, iron oxide, and rare earth elements (or rare earth metals, REEs), from massive industrial waste coal ash. In one embodiment, the process includes a plurality of caustic extractions of coal ash at an elevated temperature, followed by an acidic treatment to dissolve aluminum silicate and REEs. The dissolved aluminum silicate is precipitated out by pH adjustment as a solid product while REEs remain in the solution. REEs are captured and enriched using an ion exchange column. Alternatively, the solution containing aluminum silicate and REEs is heated to produce silica gel, which is easily separated from the enriched REEs solution. REEs are then isolated and purified from the enriched solution to afford substantially pure individual REE by a ligand-assisted chromatography. Additionally, a simplified process using one caustic extraction and one acidic extraction with an ion exchange process was also investigated and optimized to afford a comparable efficiency.

Provided is a method for treating a sulfide, the method being suitable for obtaining nickel and/or cobalt from a sulfide containing copper and nickel and/or cobalt. The method relates to a method for treating a sulfide containing copper and nickel and/or cobalt, the method including pulverizing the sulfide by subjecting the sulfide to a pulverizing treatment so as to obtain a pulverized sulfide having a particle size of 800 μm or less; and leaching the pulverized sulfide by subjecting the pulverized sulfide to a leaching treatment with an acid under a condition in which a sulfurizing agent is present to obtain a leachate. For example, the sulfide to be treated is generated by reducing, heating, and melting a waste lithium-ion battery to obtain a molten body and adding a sulfurizing agent to the molten body to sulfurize the molten body.

Provided is a method for treating a sulfide, the method being suitable for obtaining nickel and/or cobalt from a sulfide containing copper and nickel and/or cobalt. The method relates to a method for treating a sulfide containing copper and nickel and/or cobalt, the method including pulverizing the sulfide by subjecting the sulfide to a pulverizing treatment so as to obtain a pulverized sulfide having a particle size of 800 μm or less; and leaching the pulverized sulfide by subjecting the pulverized sulfide to a leaching treatment with an acid under a condition in which a sulfurizing agent is present to obtain a leachate. For example, the sulfide to be treated is generated by reducing, heating, and melting a waste lithium-ion battery to obtain a molten body and adding a sulfurizing agent to the molten body to sulfurize the molten body.

The present invention relates to a solid-liquid-solid hydrometallurgical method in the presence of hydrated and/or non-hydrated salts in an oversaturation conditions, which is achieved by the intentional and repetitive application of drying and wetting steps, enhancing the chemical and physical phenomena on the mineral or concentrate, thus provoking the crystallization, re-crystallization, and release of copper in a non-stoichiometric decomposition of the sulfide and its subsequent precipitation with chloride. The invention is made up of 3 steps called: (a) Wetting, (b) Drying and Oversaturation, (c) Washing and re-wetting, and these are conducted at temperatures ranging from 20-40° C. regardless of the redox potential with a minimum consumption of water and acid without requiring the addition of oxygen. The method allows diminishing the water and acid consumption, since the transformation of the sulfide can be carried out only in the presence of hydrated salts and/or the minimal addition of acid and water. Furthermore, the present invention allows reducing the use of water in the agglomeration and/or agglomeration-curing step, as when the hydrated salt is mixed with the mineral, the water molecules of the hydrated salt wet the mineral, reducing the volume of water that shall be added in the steps of wetting and agglomeration and/or curing.

The method of the present invention can also be applied to sulfide base metals such as nickel, zinc, cobalt, lead, molybdenum, among others, regardless of usual impurities of the sulfide minerals as occurs in the presence of arsenic.

The present invention relates to a solid-liquid-solid hydrometallurgical method in the presence of hydrated and/or non-hydrated salts in an oversaturation conditions, which is achieved by the intentional and repetitive application of drying and wetting steps, enhancing the chemical and physical phenomena on the mineral or concentrate, thus provoking the crystallization, re-crystallization, and release of copper in a non-stoichiometric decomposition of the sulfide and its subsequent precipitation with chloride. The invention is made up of 3 steps called: (a) Wetting, (b) Drying and Oversaturation, (c) Washing and re-wetting, and these are conducted at temperatures ranging from 20-40° C. regardless of the redox potential with a minimum consumption of water and acid without requiring the addition of oxygen. The method allows diminishing the water and acid consumption, since the transformation of the sulfide can be carried out only in the presence of hydrated salts and/or the minimal addition of acid and water. Furthermore, the present invention allows reducing the use of water in the agglomeration and/or agglomeration-curing step, as when the hydrated salt is mixed with the mineral, the water molecules of the hydrated salt wet the mineral, reducing the volume of water that shall be added in the steps of wetting and agglomeration and/or curing.

The method of the present invention can also be applied to sulfide base metals such as nickel, zinc, cobalt, lead, molybdenum, among others, regardless of usual impurities of the sulfide minerals as occurs in the presence of arsenic.

Discloses a hydrometallurgical process and system for the recovery of precious metals; specifically palladium, rhodium, and platinum metals, at high purity and with limited waste and environmental fouling.

Discloses a hydrometallurgical process and system for the recovery of precious metals; specifically palladium, rhodium, and platinum metals, at high purity and with limited waste and environmental fouling.

A method for recovering metals from scrap sources. The method includes obtaining scrap sources that include the metal to be recovered. The method also includes removing the metal from the scrap sources. Removing the metal from the scrap sources includes adding a reagent to the scrap sources, the reagent configured to leach the metal from the scrap sources creating a leachate. Removing the metal from the scrap sources also includes extracting the metal from the leachate and regenerating the reagent.

A method for recovering metals from scrap sources. The method includes obtaining scrap sources that include the metal to be recovered. The method also includes removing the metal from the scrap sources. Removing the metal from the scrap sources includes adding a reagent to the scrap sources, the reagent configured to leach the metal from the scrap sources creating a leachate. Removing the metal from the scrap sources also includes extracting the metal from the leachate and regenerating the reagent.