It is provided a process for extracting nickel sulfate from mining ores, such as serpentine, comprising the steps of conducting a magnetic separation of the mining ores producing a magnetic fraction and a non magnetic fraction; leaching the non magnetic fraction with HCl producing a slurry comprising metals chloride; filtrating the slurry producing a metals chloride liquor; purifying the metals chloride liquor producing a magnesium chloride solution; separating an iron-nickel cake from the magnesium chloride solution; leaching the cake together with the magnetic fraction producing a metallic sulfate solution; extracting nickel and cobalt from the metallic sulfate solution by a ion exchange resin extraction and stripping producing an inorganic stripped phase; submitting the inorganic stripped phase to a liquid-liquid extraction producing a nickel concentrated phase; and evaporating and drying the nickel concentrated phase to recuperate nickel sulfate.

The present description relates to a process for producing magnesium metal from magnesium-bearing ores using serpentine. The process described herein consists generally in a mineral preparation and classification followed by leaching with dilute hydrochloric acid. The slurry is filtered and the non-leached portion, containing amorphous silica is recovered. The residual solution is neutralized and purified by chemical precipitation with non activated and activated serpentine. The nickel is also recovered by precipitation at higher pH. A final neutralisation and purification step of magnesium chloride solution by precipitation allows eliminating any traces of residual impurities. The purified magnesium chloride solution is evaporated until saturation and the MgCl.sub.2.6H.sub.2O is recovered by crystallization in an acid media. The salt is dehydrated and subsequent electrolysis of anhydrous magnesium chloride produces pure magnesium metal and hydrochloric acid.

Recycling of lithium-ion batteries includes the steps of leaching a black mass including cathode and anode materials with a leaching agent, optionally including an oxidizing agent or reducing agent, to form an aqueous acidic leach solution of metal salts comprising metal salts and a plurality of impurity salts. The impurity salts are removed in various purification phases including treating with an oxygen-containing gas and optional electrodeposition and ion exchange steps, each at specified pH ranges. The amounts of the metal salts in the treated aqueous acidic leach solution are then adjusted to a desired ratio and coprecipitated to form a precursor cathode active material.

High-quality non-stoichiometric NiO.sub.x nanoparticles are synthesized by a facile chemical precipitation method. The NiO.sub.x film can function as an effective p-type semiconductor or hole transport layer (HTL) without any post-treatments, while offering wide temperature applicability from room-temperature to 150 C. For demonstrating the potential applications, high efficiency is achieved in organic solar cells using NiO.sub.x HTL. Better performance in NiO.sub.x based organic light emitting diodes is obtained as compared to devices using PEDOT:PSS. The solution-processed NiO.sub.x semiconductors at room temperature can favor a wide-range of applications of large-area and flexible optoelectronics.

There are provided processes for treating red mud. For example, the processes can comprise leaching red mud with HCl so as to obtain a leachate comprising ions of a first metal (for example aluminum) and a solid, and separating said solid from said leachate. Several other metals can be extracted from the leachate (Fe, Ni, Co, Mg, rare earth elements, rare metals, etc.). Various other components can be extracted from solid such as TiO.sub.2, SiO.sub.2 etc.

Process of materials recovery from energy storage devices, wherein the process comprises cleaning, washing, deep discharging and then crushing the devices to recover floating non-magnetic materials and magnetic materials. Further the black mass is treated with baking process, water soaking process, gravity filtration process, leaching process, Cobalt salt recovery process, Manganese salt recovery process, Nickel salt recovery process, Sodium salt recovery process, Lithium salt recovery process and then selective absorption of respective ions using Ion-exchange resin and liquid-liquid extraction using organic solvent for beneficiation to recover pure Cobalt ions, Manganese ions, Nickel ions and Lithium ions. Further the process of the present invention facilitates in recovering all possible battery grade materials from used energy storage devices. The process of the present invention uses less water, energy, economical, safe, environment friendly without generating any hazardous gases while the process has very low carbon foot prints.

Process of materials recovery from energy storage devices, wherein the process comprises cleaning, washing, deep discharging and then crushing the devices to recover floating non-magnetic materials and magnetic materials. Further the black mass is treated with baking process, water soaking process, gravity filtration process, leaching process, Cobalt salt recovery process, Manganese salt recovery process, Nickel salt recovery process, Sodium salt recovery process, Lithium salt recovery process and then selective absorption of respective ions using Ion-exchange resin and liquid-liquid extraction using organic solvent for beneficiation to recover pure Cobalt ions, Manganese ions, Nickel ions and Lithium ions. Further the process of the present invention facilitates in recovering all possible battery grade materials from used energy storage devices. The process of the present invention uses less water, energy, economical, safe, environment friendly without generating any hazardous gases while the process has very low carbon foot prints.

The present invention provides a process for preparing a high-purity nickel sulphate solution, comprising the steps of: i. forming an aqueous mixed metal sulphate solution by reacting sulphuric acid with a raw material feed comprising nickel, manganese, cobalt, and magnesium in an aqueous medium; ii. extracting manganese from said aqueous mixed metal sulphate solution, thereby obtaining a first aqueous raffinate comprising nickel, cobalt and magnesium, and a manganese-rich organic phase; iii. extracting cobalt from said first aqueous raffinate, thereby obtaining a second aqueous raffinate comprising nickel and magnesium, and a cobalt-rich organic phase; and iv. extracting magnesium from said second aqueous raffinate solution, thereby obtaining a high-purity nickel sulphate solution, and a magnesium-rich organic phase.

The present invention provides a process for preparing a high-purity nickel sulphate solution, comprising the steps of: i. forming an aqueous mixed metal sulphate solution by reacting sulphuric acid with a raw material feed comprising nickel, manganese, cobalt, and magnesium in an aqueous medium; ii. extracting manganese from said aqueous mixed metal sulphate solution, thereby obtaining a first aqueous raffinate comprising nickel, cobalt and magnesium, and a manganese-rich organic phase; iii. extracting cobalt from said first aqueous raffinate, thereby obtaining a second aqueous raffinate comprising nickel and magnesium, and a cobalt-rich organic phase; and iv. extracting magnesium from said second aqueous raffinate solution, thereby obtaining a high-purity nickel sulphate solution, and a magnesium-rich organic phase.

This application pertains to methods of recovering metals from metal sulfides that involve contacting the metal sulfide with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent that has a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the concentration of reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of metal extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions.