| Abstract |
| The solvent extraction of copper by LIX84 in kerosene was investigated to separate and recover copper from solution containing copper, nickel and cobalt leached from matte, intermediate product of manganese nodules. Copper, nickel and cobalt concentrations in synthetic solution were 12 g/ℓ, 15 g/ℓ and 2 g/ℓ respectively, and pH was 4.0, which is similar to those of real leaching solution. The effects of time, pH, extractant concentration and temperature on extraction ratio were investigated and scrubbing and stripping conditions are also tested. The extraction efficiencies of copper, nickel and cobalt were respectively 78.2%, 2.5% and 0.0% with 30% LIX84, O/A 1.0 and equilibrium pH of 1.09, and were increased to 98.9%, 12.3% and 9.5% with controlling equilibrium pH to 2.1. The McCabe Thiele diagram predicts that at an O/A ratio of 1, pH 1.15 with 30% LIX84, three stages are needed to extract the copper concentration from 12.0 g/ℓ in the feed solution to 0.2 g/ℓ in the raffinate, with a copper extraction of over 98%. On the other hand, two stages are required to strip over 95% copper from the solvent (12.0 g/ℓCu) at O/A ratio of 2 with 180 g/ℓH₂SO₄. Nickel (0/46 g/ℓ) in the solvent could be scrubbed at A/O ratio of 1 with 2.0 g/ℓ H₂SO₄. |
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| Key Words |
| Solvent extraction, LIX84, Copper, Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese nodules, Matte, Leaching solution |
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