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Review of present cobalt recovery practice

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Abstract

Over the years, improvements have been made in the recovery of nonferrous metals, including improvements in the areas of mineral processing, pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy to extract cobalt as a byproduct from host minerals containing mainly nickel, copper and associated precious metals. At present, the technological emphasis is on solvent extraction coupled with electrowinning (SX-EW) for lateritic sources of supply within the Southern Hemisphere, such as in Australia and New Caledonia. Although sulfide-bearing ores, such as those found in Canada and Russia, will serve as a viable long-term source for cobalt, a ubiquitous metal, the future trend is anticipated to be in the implementation of compact and efficient SX-EW facilities that apply state-of-the-art innovation with environmental compliance This paper serves to collate the known practices for the recovery of market-grade cobalt by means of electrowinning from either an aqueous sulfate medium or chloride medium after upstream leaching, solvent-extraction and solution-purification procedures. For completeness, other commercial production techniques for the recovery of cobalt as a sulfide or oxide product are included in the summary of current cobalt processing practices.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nordic Metallurgical Consultants Inc., Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

    R. R. Moskalyk (consulting engineer)

  2. School of Engineering, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

    A. M. Alfantazi (associate professor)

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  1. R. R. Moskalyk
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  2. A. M. Alfantazi
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Moskalyk, R.R., Alfantazi, A.M. Review of present cobalt recovery practice. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 17, 205–216 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03403236

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