METHOD OF PROCESSING OF COBALT CONCENTRATE Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: technology of cobalt concentrate processing; applicable in production of compounds of cobalt and associated metals such as nickel, iron, copper. SUBSTANCE: method includes dissolving of initial raw material in hydrochloric acid, extraction of iron from solution, introduction of salting-out agent into solution purified from iron, cobalt extraction from obtained solution with salts of tertiary amines or quaternary ammonium bases with subsequent washing and reextraction of cobalt with obtaining of purified cobalt salt in reextract and purified nickel salt in raffinate. In so doing, initial raw material is preliminarily roasted. Salting-out agent is used in form of NiCl₂. Extraction separation of cobalt and nickel is accomplished in two stages. At the first stage, one part of cobalt is extracted with maintenance of equilibrium concentration of CoCl₂ in raffinate equalling 20-80 g/l, and at the second stage, remained cobalt is extracted from raffinate of the first stage extraction preliminarily evaporated to concentration of NiCl₂ equalling 400-500 g/l. EFFECT: higher degree of cobalt recovery, prevented liberation of free chloride in dissolving procedure, low-cost and ecologically clean process. 8 cl