Separation of nickel and cobalt and manganese in solution

Abstract

This invention provides a process for separating the halide of cobalt, and optionally nickel, from a pregnant aqueous solution, the aqueous solution also containing a manganese halide. The process comprises initially extracting the cobalt halide and a portion of any manganese halide which is present into an organic extract. The nickel halide is then separately extracted from the solution. The manganese halide is preliminarily preferentially stripped from the organic extract containing cobalt and manganese utilizing an aqueous solution comprising halide ions. The cobalt halide in the extract can then be stripped into an aqueous solution together with the remaining manganese to form a strip solution. The manganese is then preferentially extracted from the strip solution, leaving a manganese-free, substantially pure cobalt solution. Any nickel can be selectively extracted from the manganese remaining in the pregnant solution.