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Silica‐based iminodiacetic acid functionalized adsorbent for Ni hydrometallurgical extraction of nickeliferous laterite
Author(s) -
Li Xin,
Li Baohua,
Wu Shan,
Li Jingbing,
Xu Qitai,
Yang Zhiqiang,
Liu Yuqiang,
Wang Shaohua,
Chen Dongsheng
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.13774
Subject(s) - laterite , adsorption , iminodiacetic acid , nickel , extraction (chemistry) , materials science , metallurgy , leaching (pedology) , chemistry , nuclear chemistry , inorganic chemistry , chromatography , chelation , geology , organic chemistry , soil science , soil water
A novel silica‐based iminodiacetic acid functionalized adsorbent was fabricated and then used to nickel hydrometallurgical extraction for low‐grade nickeliferous laterites. The surface morphology of the adsorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The adsorption experiment indicated a maximum nickel load capacity of about 0.45 mmol/g. Analysis of adsorption thermodynamic and kinetics revealed a spontaneous adsorption process driven by entropy increase, and limited by film diffusion. Semi‐industrial scale column experiments revealed that the Ni 2+ in the acidic leach liquor of low‐grade nickeliferous laterites may be efficiently extracted by the iminodiacetic acid functionalized adsorbent, if the Fe 3+ ions existing in the acidic leach liquor were previously reduced to be Fe 2+ by sodium sulfite. This environmentally safe adsorbent may supplant the traditional solvent extraction process for low‐grade nickeliferous laterites. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012