Molten salt extraction process for the recovery of valued transition metals from land-based and deep-sea minerals

Patent · Fri May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6723651

Maroni, V A; von Winbush, S

A process for extracting transition metals and particularly cobalt and manganese together with iron, copper and nickel from low grade ores (including ocean-floor nodules) by converting the metal oxides or other compositions to chlorides in a molten salt, and subsequently using a combination of selective distillation at temperatures below about 500/degree/C, electrolysis at a voltage not more negative that about /minus/1.5 volt versus Ag/AgCl, and precipitation to separate the desired manganese and cobalt salts from other metals and provide cobalt and manganese in metallic forms or compositions from which these metals may be more easily recovered.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• Assignee: ANL; EDB-88-185224; ERA-14-001183
• Patent Number(s): PATENTS-US-A6044618
• OSTI ID: 6723651
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400105* -- Separation Procedures
58 GEOSCIENCES
580300 -- Mineralogy
Petrology
& Rock Mechanics-- (-1989)
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
COBALT
COPPER
DISTILLATION
ELECTROLYSIS
ELEMENTS
EXTRACTION
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
IRON
LYSIS
MANAGEMENT
MANGANESE
MATERIALS RECOVERY
METALS
NICKEL
ORES
PRECIPITATION
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
SALTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING