Disclosed is a method for removing aluminum in a ternary battery material leachate by adopting an extraction method, which comprises the following steps: (1) saponification: mixing an extraction solvent with a saponifying agent to obtain a saponified extraction solvent; (2) extraction: mixing the ternary battery material leachate with the saponified extraction solvent to obtain a loaded organic phase and a raffinate; (3) back extraction: mixing the loaded organic phase with a back-extraction agent, followed by performing a back-extraction to obtain an organic phase and a back-extraction solution; the extraction solvent comprises an extracting agent and a diluent. The extraction method is adopted to separate nickel, cobalt, manganese and aluminum, having the advantages of less heavy metal entrainment, short process flow, and high metal recovery rate. The extraction rate of the aluminum can reach 97.42 percent.

The use of a synergistic mixture of extractants for extracting at least one rare earth element from an aqueous medium comprising phosphoric acid. The mixture comprises: —a first extractant of formula (I):

##STR00001##

wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, which are identical or different, represent a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group, comprising from 6 to 12 carbon atoms, or a phenyl group optionally substituted by a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group, comprising from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; and —a second extractant of formula (II):

##STR00002##

in which R.sub.3 represents a linear or branched alkyl group, comprising from 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

Use of the synergistic mixture in the treatment of phosphate minerals with a view to recovering the rare earth elements contained in the minerals.

A method for recycling nickel, cobalt and manganese from a feed liquid containing nickel, cobalt and manganese, the method comprising: (1) subjecting the feed liquid to a first extraction to obtain an aqueous phase 1 and an organic phase 1; (2) subjecting the aqueous phase 1 to a second extraction to obtain an organic phase 2 and an aqueous phase 2 having a pH value of 5-7.5; and (3) successively subjecting the organic phase 2 to washing and reverse extraction to obtain a solution containing nickel, cobalt and manganese, wherein an extractant A used in the second extraction comprises a carboxylic acid extractant.

A method for recycling nickel, cobalt and manganese from a feed liquid containing nickel, cobalt and manganese, the method comprising: (1) subjecting the feed liquid to a first extraction to obtain an aqueous phase 1 and an organic phase 1; (2) subjecting the aqueous phase 1 to a second extraction to obtain an organic phase 2 and an aqueous phase 2 having a pH value of 5-7.5; and (3) successively subjecting the organic phase 2 to washing and reverse extraction to obtain a solution containing nickel, cobalt and manganese, wherein an extractant A used in the second extraction comprises a carboxylic acid extractant.

A temperature-regenerated hydrophobic liquid composition includes an extracting molecule of a non-alkaline cationic species, a solvating molecule of a complimentary anionic species and a fluidizing agent. The extracting molecule of a non-alkaline cationic species is a macrocycle of which the ring is formed from 24-32 carbon atoms and has the following formula (I) or (II): wherein -n is an integer ranging from 5 to 8, -p is 1 or 2, -m is 3 or 4, -q and t, which may be identical or different, are 0, 1 or 2, —R is a tert-butyl, tert-octyl, O-methyl, O-ethyl, O-propyl, O-isopropyl, O-butyl, O-isobutyl, O-pentyl, O-hexyl, O-heptyl, O-octyl, or OCH.sub.2Phenyl group or a hydrogen atom, and—R′ and R″, which may be identical or different, are chosen from methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, heptyl and octyl groups or R′ and R″ together form a pyrrolidine, piperidine or morpholine ring.

A composite extractant-enhanced polymer resist comprising an extractant and a polymer resin for direct extraction of valuable metals such as rare earth metals, and more specifically, scandium, Born an acid-leaching slurry and/or acid-leaching solution in which ferric ions are not required to be reduced into ferrous ions. The extractant may be cationic, non-ionic, or anionic. More specifically, the extractant di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid may be used. The polymer resin may be non-functional or have functional groups of sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, iminodiacetic acid, phosphoric acid, or amines. The composite extractant-enhanced polymer resin may be used for extraction of rare earth metals from acid-leaching slurries or solutions.

Provided are processes for extracting lithium and optionally nickel from a Nickel(II)/Lithium(I) (Ni.sup.2+/Li.sup.+) solution. The extraction is optionally performed in a series of steps with counterflow of aqueous and organic flows to thereby produce a lithium poor solution. The lithium poor solution may be treated so that remaining Ni in the lithium poor solution may be directly precipitated therefrom in the form of a Ni salt. Once complete, the process provides for recoverable nickel and/or lithium that may be recycled into batteries or sold for other uses.

A temperature-regenerated hydrophobic liquid composition includes an extracting molecule of a non-alkaline cationic species, a solvating molecule of a complimentary anionic species and a fluidizing agent. The extracting molecule of a non-alkaline cationic species is a macrocycle of which the ring is formed from 24-32 carbon atoms and has the following formula (I) or (II): wherein —n is an integer ranging from 5 to 8, —p is 1 or 2, —m is 3 or 4, —q and t, which may be identical or different, are 0, 1 or 2, —R is a tert-butyl, tert-octyl, O-methyl, O-ethyl, O-propyl, O-isopropyl, O-butyl, O-isobutyl, O-pentyl, O-hexyl, O-heptyl, O-octyl, or OCH.sub.2Phenyl group or a hydrogen atom, and —R′ and R″, which may be identical or different, are chosen from methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, heptyl and octyl groups or R′ and R″ together form a pyrrolidine, piperidine or morpholine ring.

The present invention relates to the field of ore smelting technology, and particularly provides a method and system for comprehensive recovery and utilization of copper-nickel sulfide ore. Under normal pressure, the method can be used to directly leach copper-nickel sulfide ore concentrate or low-grade nickel matte obtained by matte smelting of copper-nickel sulfide ore. In the leaching process, the leaching rate of nickel, cobalt and iron is up to 99% or more, and copper is hardly leached, whereby the deep separation of copper from elements such as nickel and cobalt is directly realized, and the huge system for copper-nickel separation in the conventional process is omitted. Moreover, noble metals are not leached, and almost all of them remain in the leaching slag with copper, so the destiny is simple.

A method for extracting a rare earth metal from a mixture of one or more rare earth metals, said method comprising contacting an acidic solution of the rare earth metal with a composition which comprises an ionic liquid to form an aqueous phase and a non-aqueous phase into which the rare earth metal has been selectively extracted; recovering the rare earth metal from the non-aqueous phase; and processing the recovered rare earth metal into a rare earth metal oxide.