Page 34 - Technology Compendium

CSIR-IMMT/EXM - 05

High pure metals from spent catalysts, sludge’s, secondary’s, effluents, primary and
low-grade ores

Advantages / Salient Technical Features
• Qualities of the final products are at par with produced
metals from primary resources and processes. Low
grade, complex materials, industrial wastes, effluents
and secondary resources can be successfully used as
raw materials.
Problem being addressed
• Environmental clean-up
• Indigenous process for Extraction of critical energy
storage metals and other metals of commercial value
from low grade ores and other secondaries
• Import substitution of the said metals
• Fulfilment of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat

Environmental Considerations (if any)
• Employs hydrometallurgical unit operations which are
environment benign processes.

Major Raw Materials to be Utilized
• Spent catalysts, sludge’s, secondary’s, effluents, primary copper from low grade Malanjkhand oxide ore
having bio-heap leaching, solvent extraction
and low-grade ores. Commercial grade chemicals will
and electrowinning unit operations.
be used in the process. • Pilot scale studies for recovery of Ni from spent
IPR Status / Details (India/Abroad) catalyst
• A Process for extraction of Ni from low grade chromite
ore, International Patent Nos.: WO 20055225, AU Commercialization Status
• Following technologies have been transferred
2002348824, BR 200215990, EP 1697549.
/ commercialized
• Improvements in or relating to a process for the • Recovery of nickel from refinery spent
extraction of copper lead, zinc metal values from
complex sulphide ores/concentrates, Indian Patent electrolyte (150 m3/day, M/s Hindalco Ind.
Ltd, Birla Copper Unit, Dahej)
No.158990 (1985). • Recovery of Co from Co sludge/scrap (100 tpa
Application/Uses Co, M/s Rubamin Ltd., Baroda)
• High pure (electrolytic grade) metals for manufacturing • Extraction of Zn and Cu from brass ash, Zn
ash (105 tpa Zn & 30 tpa Cu, M/s Pantnagar
of industrial products and alloy making. Fertilizers, Muzaffarnagar)
Scale of Development • Recovery of Co from Co bearing slag of South
• Pilot scale studies for production of Co, Cu and Ni Africa (135 tpa Co carbonate, M/s Shalina
Trading Co Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai)
cathodes from polymetallic nodules (tested in dedicated
technology proving plant at 500 kg/day scale (nodules)) • Recovery of Cu and Zn from spent catalyst (75
• Pilot scale studies for production of Ni and Co from tpa Cu & 75 tpa Zn, M/s S K Enterprise, Kanpur)
Chromite Over Burden (tested in dedicated pilot plant at • Recovery of cobalt from Beta-cake leach
liquor (18 tpa, M/s HZL, Udaipur) (Current TRL
10 tpd scale (COB))
• Established flexible pilot plant with pressure/ Level 6-7)
atmospheric leaching, purification/cementation tanks,
solid-liquid separation, 26 stages 200 lph solvent- Techno-economics
• Return on Investment 20-40%
extraction and electrolytic cells with 100 kg/day metal
production capacity at CSIR-IMMT for processing Technology Package
complex sulphides
• Pilot scale studies to recover Co from cobalt sludge/ • IMMT can develop process flow sheet for
recovery of metal values for similar metal
scrap
• Pilot scale studies for recovery of Ni from refinery bearing resources, carry out pilot scale studies
(optional) with the existing pilot plant facility
electrolyte
• Carried out 1000 tons heap leaching for recovery of and prepare basic engineering process package.
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