Sumitomo Metal Mining Company, Ltd.

Kyushu University

Toshihiko Nagakura

Yoshitomo Ozaki

Tatsuya Higaki

Hidemasa Nagai

Masahiro Goto

Keiji Kudo

Fukiko Kubota

Yuzo Baba

Yu Yamashita

Itsumi Matsuoka

Shin-ya Matsumoto

Jiro Hayata

Shinya Matsumoto

Tomoya Hagio

Shin-Ya Matsumoto

Provided is a method which allows for strict control of an oxygen partial pressure required for the heating and melting of a raw material, and thereby more efficient recovery of a valuable metal. The method for recovering a valuable metal (Cu, Ni, and Co) includes the steps of: preparing a charge comprising at least phosphorus (P) and a valuable metal as a raw material; heating and melting the raw material to form a molten body and then converting the molten body into a molten product comprising an alloy and a slag; and separating the slag from the molten product to recover the alloy comprising the valuable metal, wherein the heating and melting of the raw material comprises directly measuring an oxygen partial pressure in the molten body using an oxygen analyzer, and regulating the oxygen partial pressure based on the obtained measurement result.

Method for recovering valuable metal

The purpose of the present invention is to recover roughly purified scandium, which is purified to an extent acceptable for a technique for highly purifying scandium, efficiently and without any complicated operation from a neutralization sediment (drainage sediment) generated in neutralizing acid mine drainage which contains a sulfur component. This scandium recovery process includes a washing step (S) for washing a neutralization sediment (drainage sediment) and a dissolution step (S) for subjecting the washed sediment obtained in the washing step (S) to dissolution in an acid. It is preferable that the process further includes a re-dissolution step (S) for subjecting a dissolution residue which remains after the dissolution in the dissolution step (S) to dissolution with an acid. In the washing step (S), the neutralization sediment is washed with a washing liquid until the pH of the post-washing liquid generated in the washing step becomes 6 or higher.

Scandium recovery process

In order to recover high-quality scandium from nickel oxide ores efficiently, this method comprises: a step (S) for feeding Ni oxide ores and sulfuric acid into a pressure vessel, and subjecting the mixture to solid-liquid separation to form a leachate and a leach residue; a step (S) for adding a neutralizing agent to the leachate, and thus forming a neutralization sediment and a post-neutralization fluid; a step (S) for adding a sulfurizing agent to the post-neutralization fluid, and separating the obtained mixture into Ni sulfide and a post-sulfurization fluid; a step (S) for bringing the post-sulfurization fluid into contact with a chelating resin, making Sc adsorbed on the chelating resin, and forming an Sc eluent; a step (S) for bringing the Sc eluent into contact with an extracting agent, adding a back-extraction agent to the extract, and forming back-extracted matter; and a step (S) for roasting the back-extracted matter, and forming Sc oxide.

Scandium recovery method

Provided is a method for efficiently separating nickel, cobalt and/or scandium, and impurities from an acidic solution containing impurities such as manganese, iron, zinc, and aluminum. A valuable-metal extracting agent of the present invention is expressed by general formula (1). In the formula, Rand Reach represent the same or different alkyl groups, Rrepresents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, and Rrepresents a hydrogen atom or a given group, other than an amino group, that bonds with an &#x3b1; carbon as an amino acid. In general formula (1), the inclusion of a glycine unit, a histidine unit, a lysine unit, an asparagine acid unit, or a normal methylglycine unit is preferred. 

Method for separating impurities from an acidic solution containing nickel and cobalt and/or scandium

The present invention effectively recover high-grade scandium from nickel oxide ores. The present invention includes a leaching step (S) for charging nickel oxide ores and sulfuric acid into a pressurized vessel, a neutralizing step (S) for adding a neutralizing agent to the leachate to obtain a neutralized precipitate and a neutralized liquid, a sulfidizing step (S) for adding a sulfidizing agent to the neutralized liquid, an ion exchange step (S) for bringing the sulfidized solution into contact with a chelate resin, a solvent extraction step (S) for bringing a Sc eluent into contact with an extracting agent, a Sc precipitation Step (S) for adding a neutralizing agent or oxalic acid to a stripping solution, and a calcination step (S) for drying and calcining a precipitate to obtain scandium oxide.

Method for recovering scandium

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Niihama, Japan

Toshihiko Nagakura