Method of inhibiting degradation of extractant by anhydrous environment avoiding and metal stripping

A method of performing a solvent extraction and inhibiting degradation of an extractant by avoiding an anhydrous environment, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) extracting cobalt and zinc from a leached solution by adding soda ash (Na2CO3) to an extracting reaction tank to provide a raffinate from which cobalt and zinc have been extracted and a residual solution including solvent and the cobalt and zinc extracted from the leached solution;
• (b) feeding the residual solution from the extracting reaction tank to a scrubbing reaction tank;
• (c) scrubbing manganese from the residual solution in the scrubbing reaction tank by supplying a solvent from a loaded organic tank to the scrubbing reaction tank to provide a scrubbed solvent;
• (d) feeding the scrubbed solvent to a stripping reaction tank;
• (e) stripping cobalt and zinc from the scrubbed solvent in the stripping reaction tank by adding a stripping solution to the stripping reaction tank;
• (f) recirculating solvent in a settler connected to the extracting reaction tank, the scrubbing reaction tank and the stripping reaction tank, wherein the scrubbing reaction tank, stripping reaction tank and extracting reaction tank are connected for circulation;
• (g) stopping addition of the soda ash (Na2CO3) to the extracting reaction tank;
• (h) starting recirculation of a solution of the settler and stopping solvent recirculation of the settler;
• (i) operating stirrers of the scrubbing reaction tank, stripping reaction tank and extracting reaction tank;
• (j) supplying a sulfuric acid solution with a diluting solution containing fresh water to the stripping reaction tank;
• (k) transferring the solvents of the settler, the loaded organic tank and pipes connecting the scrubbing reaction tank, stripping reaction tank and extracting reaction tank to the scrubbing reaction tank;
• and
• (l) stopping the step (k) and initiating solvent recirculation.