A method for iron and copper removal from solution using metallic reagents

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns a process for the removal of Cu and Fe from an acidic aqueous solution further containing one or more of Ni and Co, comprising the steps of: —adding a metallic reagent comprising one or more of Ni and Co to the acidic solution, in oxidizing conditions, thereby neutralizing the acidic solution, and forming a precipitate comprising Cu and Fe, wherein at least part of the Cu and Fe is in the form of a hydroxide; and, —separating the Cu and Fe precipitate from the solution, thereby obtaining a solution depleted in Cu and Fe. The process drastically reduces the need for foreign neutralizing agents, thereby restricting or even completely avoiding the introduction of additional impurities into the process. It is advantageously applied on an acidic aqueous solution obtained by leaching materials having the same composition as the metallic reagent.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.