Process for recovering cobalt ion, nickel ion and manganese ion from metal-containing residues

A process for recovering one or more metal ions selected from the group consisting of Cobalt, Nickel, Manganese and a mixture thereof from a metal-containing residue comprising:

• A) leaching a residue with a leaching solution comprising lactic acid to obtain a leaching mixture formed by a filtrate 1 comprising a Cobalt lactate, a Nickel lactate, a Manganese lactate or a mixture thereof and a solid cake 1;
• B) separating the filtrate 1 from the leaching mixture obtained in step A);
• C) precipitating the Cobalt lactate, Nickel lactate, Manganese lactate or a mixture thereof from the filtrate 1 obtained in step B) to obtain a precipitating mixture formed by a filtrate 2 and a precipitate 1 comprising the Cobalt lactate, the Nickel lactate, the Manganese lactate or a mixture thereof;
• and
• D) separating the precipitate 1 comprising the Cobalt lactate, the Nickel lactate, the Manganese lactate or a mixture thereof from the precipitating mixture obtained in step C);
• or alternatively,
• A) leaching the residue with a leaching solution comprising lactic acid to obtain a leaching mixture formed by a filtrate 1 comprising the Cobalt lactate, the Nickel lactate, the Manganese lactate or a mixture thereof and a solid cake 1;
• E) precipitating the Cobalt lactate, the Nickel lactate, the Manganese lactate or a mixture thereof from the filtrate 1 obtained in step A) to obtain a precipitating mixture formed by a filtrate 3 and a solid cake 2 comprising the Cobalt lactate, the Nickel lactate, the Manganese lactate or a mixture thereof;
• and
• F) separating the solid cake 2 from the precipitating mixture obtained in step E);
• and
• G) separating the Cobalt lactate, the Nickel lactate, the Manganese lactate or a mixture thereof from the solid cake 2.