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Reclamation of nickel from spent nickel catalyst
Author(s) -
Shukla Arun,
Maheshwari P. N.,
Vasishtha A. K.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of the american oil chemists' society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.512
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1558-9331
pISSN - 0003-021X
DOI - 10.1007/bf02542389
Subject(s) - nickel , catalysis , hydroxide , formic acid , chemistry , formate , nuclear chemistry , inorganic chemistry , hydrochloric acid , chromatography , organic chemistry
Spent nickel catalyst containing an average 9.6% nickel was obtained locally from an oil hydrogenation industry. It was digested with 1–3N HCl, HNO 3 , H 2 SO 4 and mixtures thereof in one to three stages of durations ranging from one to three hr at 100°C using spent nickel catalyst to acid proportions of 1:3 to 1:8 (w/v). Nickel recoveries of over 94% were obtained when one part of spent catalyst was digested for three hr with six or more parts of 3N mixture of HCl and HNO 3 (3:1, v/v). Acid extracts of spent nickel catalyst obtained using HCl, H 2 SO 4 and mixtures thereof were treated with NaOCl to convert their content of iron in the ferric form. The iron from the nickel extract was precipitated out in the form of ferric hydroxide at pH 6.0. Nickel from the iron‐freed acid extracts was recovered at pH 8.5±0.5 as nickel hydroxide. Nickel formate was prepared by refluxing nickel hydroxide with 10% formic acid in about 6% excess to stoichiometric requirements for 30 min. The dried nickel formate was reduced in peanut oil at 230°C to 270°C for 0.25 to 2.75 hr. The reduction at 260°C on kieselguhr support, employing nickel formate:oil:support in ratio of 50:43:7, for two hr provided catalyst of maximum activity. The hydrogenation activity of the reclaimed catalyst, assessed by standard AOCS procedure, was greater than that of the parent catalyst.