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By A. Dell’Era, M. Pasquali, C. Lupi

"An electrochemical cell has been designed to treat very diluted cobalt solutions, i.e. those deriving from recycling processes of lithium-ion batteries. A reticulated vitreous carbon sponge was used as cathode and a Pt-coated Ti net as anode. A controlled potential electrolysis has been carried out in a solution flowing in the cell and maintained at a constant pH of 6.5. Considering the cathode dimensions (10.0 cm * 10.0 cm * 1.25 cm), rather high volumes of solution (>1 litre) can be treated with flow rates up to 1.6 l/min. The process yield is obviously related to the solution concentration; it has been observed that, starting with a solution containing 200 ppm of Co2+, the yield is initially ~35-40%, but it decreases to ~20% when 80% of the initial cobalt content has been electrowon. The yield increases up to ~50% if the carbon electrode is coated by cobalt. The conditions allowing a fast and complete removal of cobalt are outlined. Introduction Industrial liquid effluents containing heavy metal ions arise not only during hydrometallurgical processing, but also in many sector of chemical industries utilizing metal catalysts and process reagents. These waste solutions containing low quantities of metallic ions can be treated by chemical precipitation, solvent extraction, ion exchange, etc. before final discharge. All these techniques could be efficient for complying the aqueous effluents with the severe rules related to the environmental impact, but they can not directly produce metals. Particularly the chemical precipitation presents two main drawbacks, huge amount of sludge prodction and reagent costs to produce this useless and sometime dangerous sludge that have to be considered. Electrochemical technologies can be used for the treatment of effluents polluted by metal ions, showing the following advantages in comparison with other processes: 1. recovering of the polluting substances in metallic forms, with subsequent reusing; 2. absence of process slag, which should be subsequently disposed of. In this work an electrochemical reactor with a reticulated vitreous carbon cathode and a platinated titanium net anode has been designed and utilized for removal Co from waste aqueous solutions. Porous materials have been used as electrodes for this cell, as their high specific surface area favours the treatment of these low metal content solutions (1-7). This kind of electrodic material presents very interesting chemical-physical characteristics such as: low density, low thermal expansion and high electrical and thermal conductivities; particularly the reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) presents a very elevated void volume, rigid structure, good resistance to temperatures in non-oxidizing environments and very low resistance to fluid flow."

Jan 1, 2008

By Ray Y. Lin

This study explores the formation of sodium pyrosulfate in molten sodium sulfate resulting from dissolution of SO3 at temperatures between 1160 and 1250 K. Solubility of SO3 in Na2SO4 melts at temperatures between 1160 and 1250 K under gas mixtures of SO2, O2 and argon was investigated applying a thermogravemetric analysis (TGA) technique. The activity of Na2O in the melt was determined with a high temperature electrochemical cell (ECC). Results showed that the SO3 solubility in molten Na2SO4 increases with decreasing temperatures and increasing SO3 partial pressures. Enthalpy of SO3 dissolution in molten Na2SO4 was calculated to be -119 kJ/mol for infinite dilute solutions. Thermochemistry of Na2SO4-Na2S2O7 melts was analyzed based on information obtained from both TGA and ECC techniques. Detailed examinations of the earlier low temperature measurements in the Na2SO4-Na2S2O7 system along with data from this study reveal that the solution behavior between Na2SO4 and Na2S2O7 can be satisfactorily treated as regular with the interaction parameter, , being 2.7 kJ/mol. The phase diagram and the field of SO3 partial pressure has been generated with the thermodynamic calculation using a regular solution approach.

Jan 1, 2006

By Jeong-Hwan Kim

The liquid-liquid reactive process (solution process) is often adopted as a synthetic method for precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) in laboratory studies for its simplicity in operation or ease in controlling process variables. Still, PCC are produced commercially by passing carbon dioxide through a milk of lime, i.e., by a gas-liquid reacting method (carbonation process). Few studies on the carbonation process have been conducted, since the process variables are interrelated and difficult to control compared to the solution process. In this study, both carbonation and solution processes were employed to study the polymorphs of calcium carbonate and growth rate of PCC crystals. The effects of the characteristics of limestone ores as a raw material in the synthetic system of PCC on the synthetic characteristics of PCC were also investigated. To control the nucleation rate in the synthetic systems, the shape factor was considered most important. Single-phase aragonite PCC could be synthesized under a variety of controlled experimental conditions such as ionic strength, solution composition, concentrations of additive ions, and temperature.

Jan 1, 2006

By N. El-Kaddah, A. D. Patel, T. T. Natarajan

The phenomenon of particle migration in a conducting fluid under an applied electromagnetic force field finds its application in selective sorting of minerals and more recently in the removal of inclusion from molten metal. This paper deals with the analysis of the expulsion force and the flow around a spherical particle in crossed uniform electric and magnetic fields in .infinite and in confined medium. Analytical solutions will be presented for the electrk and magnetic fields as well as the induced flow at the limit of zero Hartmann number. The flow around the particle was investigated numerically at low and high values of Hartmann number. It will be shown the magnetic field has almost no effect on the velocity field when Hartmann number is less than 1.0. At higher Hartmann numbers the damping effect of the magnetic field was pronounced in the direction of the applied current. It is concluded that Hartmann number has little effect on the net force on the sphere particle.

Jan 1, 1999

By J. S. Pitsillos

A new furnace tapping technique involving the simulation of a control valve at the exit to a furnace is being investigated. The purpose of this new tapping technique is to regulate the flowrate of liquid furnace products( slags, metals and mattes). Numerical modelling and experimental work has been carried out on tapping of slags leaving a SIROSMELT reactor and the results found to be in good agreement. Numerical modelling has also enabled prediction of the important industrial conditions for the onset of blockage from the shape of the pressure versus flowrate curves. Slag launder experiments have been carried out and a one-dimensional heat transfer model was used to evaluate the effectiveness of launder covers and different coolants. From the experimental results and mathematical model some launder design guidelines such as inclination angle, covers and coolants have been developed.

Jan 1, 1991

By A. A. EI-Geassy

High-grade iron ore fines rejected from the DRI plants (>96%Fe2O3) were isothermally reduced in 30-60%CO/H2 gas mixtures at 973-1273K. The freshly reduced reaction products were then subsequently carburised in either Hz/CO or H2/CO/S mixtures at 823-1 073K for 30-120 min. The thermogarvimetric technique was used to follow up both of reduction and carburisation reactions as a function of time. The carburised samples were characterized by X-ray and Mossbauer techniques. Chemical and carbon analyses were also applied. The influence of temperature and gas composition on the reduction behavior was investigated. The calculated values of apparent activation energy, application of gas-solid mathematical formulations were correlated with the microstructures to predict the reduetion mechanism. The influenee of carburization time, temperature, CO contents in H2/CO or H2/CO/S were investigated. A conversion extent of Fe to Fe3C was taken as a measurable index for the efficiency of carburization rcaction under the different experimental conditions.

Jan 1, 2003

By P. T. Velu, R. G. Reddy

"The use of emf measurements to derive classical thermochemical data has been in use for many years. The reaction associated with electrochemical process is harnessed in a galvanic cell and energy involved measured in terms of electromotive force. The property requirements of sensor electrodes used differ for various aqueous, molten salt and solid electrolyte systems. The electrodes for molten salt electrolytes need special care for construction. This paper describes the studies carried out using an Ag/ AgCI reference electrode. This electrode was used to measure the solubility of compounds in molten salt electrolytes. The results obtained using this electrode are in excellent agreement with the values from chemical analysis method.I. IntroductionThe technique of obtaining a metal from its oxides by electrolysis is more than a century old process now. In these processes, it has been well established that for halide electrolytes, only the dissolved oxides are available for the dissociation at the electrode to release the metal during electrolysis. Therefore, the solubility of metallic oxides in the molten salt electrolytes is an important parameter which determines the economical and technical viability of these processes. The widely used molten salts systems in halides are fluorides and chlorides. The fluoride electrolyte system is used in our present study.The viability of obtaining aluminum alloys by in-situ electrochemical processing has been outlined in our earlier publications[1-8]. Studies on the solubility of various alloying element compounds is a part of our ongoing research efforts for the direct production of Al-Li alloys. As mentioned above, the solubility of lithium oxide and lithium carbonate compounds in molten fluoride electrolyte system have studied using EMF technique. The change in potential of the molten electrolyte was measured by a working electrode against the reference electrode with the addition of lithium compound."

Jan 1, 1997

By Viviane Tavares de Moraes, Denise Crocce Romano Espinosa, Jorge Alberto Soares Tenorio, Adriana Johanny Murcia Santanilla

"Increasing volumes of solid waste are generated worldwide, due to the continuous technological advances, the electronic scrap is part of these waste, requiring the study of recycling processes to stimulate this activity or the reuse of its components. The separation of nickel from sulphate leach solution, which also containing iron, zinc and aluminium was carried out using bis-(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinic acid (Cyanex 272) as extractant, in order to determinate the effects of pH and temperature. The number of stages required for extraction was also assessed. The results showed that the metal extraction increased with increasing pH. On the other hand, increasing temperature was not favorable for all metals. However, under conditions used in this paper the purification of solution containing nickel was possible.IntroductionIncrease in the demand of metals in the world for use in industry causes a great exploration of natural resources. One outcome of this is increased investigations for the recovery of metals from industrial wastes. Nickel is found in wastes, such as batteries and electric and electronic devices, this kind of waste becomes a significant source for metals recovery. Since nickel is also present in printed circuit boards, which are associated with electric and electronic equipment, it can be recovered from this kind of waste through different techniques. It is important to highlight that iron is generally associated with this scrap [1] and for its removal chemical precipitation is often used. On the other hand, the solvent extraction process is widely used for treatment of leach liquors, because it can be produce high purity solutions [2, 3]. This technique is based on the purification of solution using contact between a liquor leaching and the immiscible organic solution, which contains an extractant that promotes the desired metal transfer [4]."

Jan 1, 2012

By K:-I. Rhee

The recovery of tellurium from Te-cement obtained during the processing of copper anode slimes was carried out by a series of hydrometallurgical processes, i.e. leaching Te-cement in NaOH solution, precipitation of impurites with the addition of Na2S followed by direct electrowinning of tellurium in NaOH solution. The optimum conditions for each process were determined and discussed in terms of various parameters associated with each step to maximize the recovery and purity of tellurium. The final purity of tellurium from electrowinning in alkaline solution was found to be more than 99.9 %.

Jan 1, 1997

By Anjali Talekar

Low temperature heat capacities of pentaerythritol [PE: C(CH2OH)4], pentaglycerine [PG: (CH3)C(CH2OH)3], and 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol [AMPL: (NH2)(CH3)C(CH2OH)2]have been determined by adiabatic calorimetry from 3 K to 300 K. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported heat capacity measurement below 280 K for PE and AMPL. The Debye temperatures for these organic crystals have also been determined and compared with other alcohol derivatives of neopentane.

Jan 1, 2006

By Carla Lupi, Mauro Pasquali

"Photographic technology is based on light sensitivity of silver halides that, because of silver properties, are capable of forming photographic images. Photographic laboratories and hospital departments because of digital photographic systems less use this technology today. Nevertheless recovery of silver is still advantageous because environmental problems related to Ag ions danger to biological system. Many processes have been studied to treat silver containing photographic bath: cementation, chemical precipitation and electrowinning. In this work, after preliminary voltammetric tests, a batch electrometallurgical process has been studied to completely deplete the silver containing photographic fixing baths. The effect, of silver concentration in the electrolyte, varying over the range 0,2-1 g/L, bath stirring and current density ranging from 10 to 500 A/m2 on process yield and deposit quality, has been investigated. Introduction Photographic wastes, electronic scrap and spent catalysts constitute the main sources of materials for silver recycling. Among those silver secondary sources, the photographic discharged material could be still important and useful, even if photographic laboratories and hospital departments, because of digital photographic systems, less use photographic technology. Several processes have been developped in order to recover silver used in the field of photography from both photographic solutions and scrap film paper[1-5]. Fixing solutions are very complex baths but, because of silver position in the electromotive series, electrolysis could represent an advantageous method for silver recovery. Electrolysis produces high purity silver without generating new pollutants, while the fixer can be reused: obviously it is necessary to purge off a portion of this solution in order to avoid the excessive build up of other deleterious compounds into solution. A tested recovery method was constituted by the dissolution of silver from X-ray films with concentrated nitric acid. Internal electrolysis and external electrolysis methods were carried out using a steel electrode as cathode and a copper electrode as anode [6]. Silver recovery from photographic chemical solutions has been also performed in a special cell [7]: the solution is supplied to the bottom of a non-agitated cell having a vertically elongated form and including a central anode enclosed by a cathode. An other study discloses the use of an electrolytic cell comprising at least one anodic compartment and one cathodic compartment: the solution is treated in the cathodic compartment and then recycled in the anodic one [8]. A more recent work proposes the use of zirconium cathode for the recovery of silver from photographic fixing solution [9]: studies carried out by cyclic voltammetry showed that about 98% of total Ag can be recovered with an electrical efficiency close to 92%."

Jan 1, 2008

By Kathryn A. Mrotek

The textural growth patterns of nodules from two areas in the North Pacific and the South Pacific are characterized by mottled, columnar and compact-type zones. Amorphous material (mainly iron and manganese hydrox-ides) is a botryoidal-forming phase in the mottled and columnar zones. Crystalline material (platy crystals of birnessite and crystallites of todo-rokite) is found primarily in the mottled zones on botryoidal structures or as long-protruding structures growing onto that portion of the nodule in contact with the underlying sediments. The long-protruding mottled zones contain little or no biogenic debris, suggesting that these zones grew un-interruptedly within the underlying sediments. The coalition of spheroidal knobs comprising some of the nodules also suggests a relatively long residing time within the sediments. It appears that crystalline material (the usual host to associated valuable metals) forms in a quiet environment and as a result of direct nodule association with the underlying sediments.

Jan 1, 1982

By Gennadiy M. Poletayev, Mikhail D. Starostenkov, Alexandra S. Starostenkova

"The process of the combustion synthesis was modeled by computer simulation using the molecular dynamics method. The set of the critical parameters regulating the velocity of the reaction was found from these computer experiments. It was established that the character of structure-energetical transformations at the combustion synthesis in the systems Ni-Al and TiAl depended on the type of boundaries used for the phases delimitation in the bimetal thin films.IntroductionProducing new materials and products, based on the combustion synthesis (CS), is the objective of scientific investigations as one of the most perspective one for industrial applications. But there are several problems connected with theory and experiment. It allows us to forecast the properties of materials. First of all, the main problems are stipulated by structure-energetical transformations taking place at high velocities of the reaction and at high temperatures. It prevents the analyzing of the transformation mechanisms in materials, taking place at microscopic, atomic levels in details.It is evident, that computer simulation allows to decide some problems and to approach to more exact theoretical presentation of structure-energetical reactions taking place at CS. It is known, that the most typical systems, where CS is observed, are bimetals Ni-Al and Ti-Al. The investigation of interphase boundary stability in the systems of Ni-Al and Ni-Fe was made by the method of molecular dynamics in [1]. The bimetal thin film was presented by the packing of atoms in the plane (111) of FCC lattice. It was found that the discrepancy in the sizes of atoms A and B of bimetal was compensated by the formation of 60° top dislocations, set against interphase boundary in the absence of point defects and free volume. The density of top dislocations was proportional to the factor of size discrepancy of atomic components of the bimetal. Diffusional reconstruction of the interphase boundary and areas, situated near it, was observed only at definite concentration of point defects - vacancies, inculcated in the structure of the bimetal at the definite temperature. The atoms of the bimetal component of less size penetrated in the area of the second component with higher velocity. The clusters of intermetallic germs began to form. It led to the growth of the system temperature and acceleration of the process of the diffusional reconstruction of thin film. The following transformations were found: top dislocations splitted into single ones, which climbed from interphase boundary into the zone of more plastic component; the formation of sub grain structures took place."

Jan 1, 2001

By M. Boussuge, M. -D. Dupuits, A. Piant

This paper summarises a part of the work that has been essentially carried out at the Ecole des Mines de Paris in the framework of an Eureka European programme funded by the French Ministry of Industry, in partnership with Metaleurop and Carborundum (subsidiary of Saint Gobain). It deals with the measurement of different properties (density, thermal linear expansion, elastic modulus, strength) of a SiC-based refractory constituting the trays that are used in the refining columns in the New Jersey zinc distillation process, especially in the boiling section. These parameters have been investigated to check the homogeneity of the asreceived trays as well as to estimate the influence of ageing of the material under operating conditions. With this aim, specimens have been sampled in used trays having more than two years of operation. The as-received trays exhibited a good homogeneity, the strength being slightly lower in the direction in which they are compacted. Despite microstructural changes, most of the properties measured at room temperature are not significantly affected by ageing. High temperature tests involved thermal treated under vacuum to remove metallic zinc before testing at high temperature. An increase in temperature, as well as ageing, induces a decrease in the elastic modulus and strength.

Jan 1, 2000

By Florian Kongoli

Slags and fluxes are important interchangeable dimensions of pyrometallurgical processes. They can increase the efficiency of the smelting, converting and refining processes and improve the quality of the final products. A good slag should have appropriate physicochemical properties such as low liquidus temperature, optimal viscosity, maximum ability to attract undesirable elements, minimum potential of attracting valuable elements, etc .. A good flux, on the other hand, when properly used, can considerably improve the physicochemical properties of the slag since by modifying its chemical composition it could decrease the liquidus temperature, improve viscosity etc.. Consequently, the choice of a good slag and the corresponding fluxing strategies has become indispensable in most of industrial processes. However, the properties of multicomponent slags as well as the effect of several fluxes are known only empirically and confusion exists in the literature and in the industrial practice. In today's reality of frequent changes in the composition of raw materials and that of the fluxes themselves, in the existing or new developing technologies, the quantification of the thermophysicochemical properties of multicomponent slags and the effect of fluxes becomes indispensable. This paper reviews some of the work carried out by the author's group during the last ten years on the quantification of the thermophysicochemical properties of multicomponent slags and on the effect of fluxes in several smelting and converting processes in close relation to their individual characteristics. Several examples have been given in order to demonstrate the fact that when taken outside the context some fluxes can become in fact anti-fluxes.

Jan 1, 2003

By Neale R. Neelameggham

"Ferrous and non-ferrous metal industries are used to handling several billion tons a year of ore bodies, fuel and fluxing agents by mineral processing techniques and varieties of extractive metallurgy ""Reduction"" processes. Metal industry know-how can be applied to meet the challenge of Reducing CO2 in the atmosphere. Processes for generating alloys of carbon and hydrogen by Reducing the CO2 and water mixture, [carbonated water or water vapor] called Soda, to easily stored fuels are normally endothermic. The processes are similar to generation of hydrogen alone from water which is also endothermic. But hydrogen is more difficult to store than compounds [or alloys] of carbon and hydrogen. This recycling of CO2 and water are possible by using other forms of energy by innovative carbon capture methods.Thermodynamic Diagrams developed for Soda [CO2 and H2O] - metal reactions provide hints for using low cost unused stored energy in un-recycled metallic waste for thermal conversion. Choices for conditions for the electrochemical approaches [using solar - wind - hydropower] are also discussed.INTRODUCTIONIn 2006, I was reading some of the arguments put forth by learned scientists on the benefits and lack of benefits of bio-fuels. I found that the arguments rose partly from the differing system boundaries that were chosen by one versus the other. Some part of the argument may have been based on political climate or atmosphere rather than the analytical science. This situation is seen when scientists discuss which came first - the chicken or the egg, the fuel or biological matter, the oxide or the element, and so on.Then I thought –[just like many of the learned persons participating in this symposium] that common fuels - regardless of them being simple hydrocarbons or oxygenated hydrocarbons or carbohydrates - can all be made from the respective oxides of carbon and hydrogen by simple chemical reductions efficiently carried out in an economical fashion. This is the systematic approach we take when designing a chemical or metallurgical process facility."

Jan 1, 2008

By Z. Sun, H. A. Davies

"Current understanding of the mechanisms by which glassy and crystalline thin ribbons are formed in high speed continuous casting processes is considered. A computer model of the combined heat and momentum transfer during melt spinning has been developed. The influence of roll velocity and of heat transfer coefficient (between the melt and the roll) on the temperature and velocity distributions within the melt puddle is analysed and the thickness of the extracted ribbon computed. The relative importance of heat and momentum transfer under different conditions is assessed and differences between the casting of crystalline and amorphous strip highlighted.IntroductionHigh speed continuous casting of thin metallic ribbon and strip is currently of considerable interest both to metal processers and to those studying process mechanisms. The practical interest arises both from the potential economic benefits to be gained from a shorter and more energy-efficient production route and from the ability to obtain extended and uniform thin strip having a metastable microcrystalline or amorphous structure with enhanced or unique properties. The latter arise from the rapid solidification associated with the cooling of very thin sections of melt brought into intimate thermal contact with one or two rapidly moving heat sinks.The principal processes for casting thin strip include free jet, chill-block melt-spinning (GBMS) (1), melt drag (MD) (2), planar flow casting (PFG) (3) and twin-roll casting (TRG) (4). For the first three of these, all essentially variants of melt-spinning, melt flows through a nozzle onto the circumferential surface of a rapidly rotating roll, whereas for TRG the melt passes into the nip between two contra-rotating rolls. We shall be concerned in this paper with the single-roll melt spinning processes only. For these, a puddle is established where the melt contacts the roll surface and the length of this puddle l is a function of the process conditions, notably the circumferential velocity of the roll Us and the volumetric flow rate of the melt Q. The contact time between any point on the roll surface and this puddle, or residence time eR(= l /Us) determines the thickness of ribbon t extracted from the puddle. This thickness, in turn, partly governs the cooling rate T and the amount of undercooling in the melt and thus the microstructure of the solidified ribbon."

Jan 1, 1986

By Hideki Yamamoto, Junji Shibata

"The chemical reactions of fluoride and chloride gases with metal chloride or metal oxide are utilized as an effective treatment for harmless disposal. These chemical reactions can be adopted in the temperature range of 80°C~400°C, which is lower than that in the combustion treatment (800°C). Reaction products are metal fluoride or metal chloride which are a harmless and a valuable chemical material as one of new resources. This paper, concerns with a new harmless disposal treatment of toxic global warming gases.IntroductionNew technology to make fluoride and chloride gases such as NF3, CF4, SF6 BF3, Cl2 and BCl3 harmless has been developed and a new concept on the removing toxic gas to be used in the advanced process of materials has been established. The fluoride gases ~re toxic and special type of gases to be used in the process of manufacturing semiconductors and their specific applications include the dry etching of semiconductors, cleaning of CVD systems, an oxidation agent for rocket fuel etc. Especially, NF3 is also attracting an attention as a high-energy source for chemical laser systems. As a fluoride gas like NF3 is, however; toxic and highly stable chemically, if discharged into the atmosphere, it is liable to cause far-reaching adverse influences on global warming in the same manner as carbon dioxide gas and feron gas.Up till now, the combustion treatment method has been adopted for the disposal of the gas, and when treating the gas by high-temperature combustion (800""C), the generation of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and hydrogen fluoride (HF) have been confirmed: These chemical substances are not only linked with an intense c0rrosion of the combustion systems but also create the generation of atmospheric pollution and acid rains, and therefore, constitute a serious social issue."

Jan 1, 2000

By Florian Kongoli

Slags and fluxes are important interchangeable dimensions of pyrometallurgical processes. They can increase the efficiency of the smelting, converting and refining processes and improve the quality of the final products. A good slag should have appropriate physicochemical properties such as low liquidus temperature, optimal viscosity, maximum ability to attract undesirable elements, minimum potential of attracting valuable elements, etc .. A good flux, on the other hand, when properly used, can considerably improve the physicochemical properties of the slag since by modifYing its chemical composition it could decrease the liquidus temperature, improve viscosity etc.. Consequently, the choice of a good slag and the corresponding fluxing strategies has become indispensable in most of industrial processes. However, the properties of multi component slags as well as the effect of several fluxes are known only empirically and confusion exists in the literature and in the industrial practice. In today's reality of frequent changes in the composition of raw materials and that of the fluxes themselves, in the existing or new developing technologies, the quantification of the thermophysicochemical properties of multicomponent slags and the effect of fluxes becomes indispensable. This paper reviews some of the work carried out by the author's group during the last ten years on the quantification of the thermophysicochemical properties of multicomponent slags and on the effect of fluxes in several smelting and converting processes in close relation to their individual characteristics. Several examples have been given in order to demonstrate the fact that when taken outside the context some fluxes can become in fact anti-fluxes.

Jan 1, 2003

By Mikiya Tanaka, Mikio Kobayashi, Mansour A. S. A1Ghamdi, Kenji Tatsumi, Yukinori Saiki, Hirotaka Senba

"In order to recover nickel ion in a spent electroless nickel - phosphorus alloy plating bath and, at the same time, to remove impurities such as iron and zinc, the applicability of solvent extraction with LlX84I as the extractant has been investigated using actual spent solution. Although the extraction efficiency of nickel from the spent solution is considerably lower than that from the nickel sulfate-nitrate solution, nickel in the spent solution is selectively extracted with high efficiency at the pH of 6 - 7. The extracted nickel is effectively stripped by sulfuric acid at a pH of less .than· 3. On the basis of these results, a· flowsheet for recovering nickel from the spent solution is proposed Chemical equilibrium calculations of the spent solution has shown that the complex formations of nickel with anions such as lactate and phosphonate ions become predominant in the pH range between 2 and 6. This results in the depression of nickel extraction efficiency from the spent solution as compared with that from the .nickel sulfate-nitrate solution. By combining these aqueous equilibrium calculations with the· extraction model considering the extraction stoichiometry and the aggregation of the extractant in the organic phase, the extraction behavior of nickel is quantitatively predicted.IntroductionElectroless plating is indispensable for the recent advanced industries such as the electronic and mechanical industries. Electroless plating baths are repeatedly used by supplying the metal salts; however, the accumulation of the counter anions of the metal ions, the components formed by the oxidation of the reducing reagents in the plating baths, and the metal ions as impurities dissolved from the surface of the objective materials degrades the· quality of the plating. Thus, the baths are finally treated by a precipitation method to form a large amount of metal sludge, which is disposed in dumping sites. Therefore, from the standpoints of environmental protection and resource preservation, it is highly desired to establish a recycling process of the plating baths with minimum emission. Solvent extraction seems to be one of the 'suitable methods to recover metals from the spent electroless plating baths, because the concentration of the metal ion in the baths is relatively high, which is advantageous to solvent extraction as compared with the ion-exchange and adsorption methods. Some studies about the application of solvent extraction have already been carried out using simulated spe11t electroless plating baths [1-3]."

Jan 1, 2000