| abstract |
The present invention relates to a process for obtaining nickel, cobalt, and other metals from ores containing them, as well as from the product obtained at any of its stages, as follows: (a) preparation or pre-treatment of the ore for its enrichment by means of silica rejection; (b) acid leaching of the pre-treated ore; (c) treatment of the effluent solution from the leaching stage using ion-exchange resin applied to the pulp; (d) elution or desorption of the ion-exchange resin using regenerated hydrochloric acid from the pyrohydrolysis stage (e) removal of copper and other impurities by precipitation, using either a sulfide or hydrosulfuric acid; (f) the solution still containing nickel and cobalt is subjected to a solvent extraction process; (g) stripping, using regenerated hydrochloric acid from the pyrohydrolysis stage (h) precipitation of cobalt in the form of either carbonate or any other intermediate product, such as sulfate, oxide, or hydroxide (i) Pyrohydrolysis of the nickel-containing solution, thus obtaining nickel in the form of oxide, and hydrochloric acid. |