Selective extraction and separation of vanadium and iron

A method for extracting vanadium and iron from a vanadium ore containing at least vanadium and iron, the method comprising:

• i. reacting the vanadium ore with a gas mixture comprising carbon monoxide (CO) and chlorine (Cl2) in the presence of carbon dioxide (CO2) at a first elevated temperature, wherein the first elevated temperature is in the range from about 850 to about 1000 ° C. and thereby producing a mixture of volatile metal chlorides comprising iron chloride (FeCl3) and vanadium oxytrichloride (VOCl3);
• ii. exposing the mixture obtained in step i. to a second temperature, the second temperature being in the range from about 750 to about 550 ° C. and collecting a gas mixture that comprises iron chloride (FeCl3), vanadium oxytrichloride (VOCl3) and carbon dioxide (CO2);
• iii. passing the gas mixture collected in step ii. through a desublimator and precipitating iron chloride solid crystals from the gas mixture, thereby depleting the gas mixture of iron chloride;
• iv. passing the gas mixture obtained in step iii. which comprises vanadium oxytrichloride (VOCl3) and carbon dioxide (CO2), but is depleted of iron chloride (FeCl3) through a vanadium oxytrichloride condenser and producing liquid vanadium oxytrichloride;
• V. oxidizing iron chloride solid crystals obtained in step iii. in the presence of a carbon dioxide and oxygen gas mixture into iron oxide;
• and
• vi. oxidizing vanadium oxytrichloride obtained in step iv. in the presence of a carbon dioxide and oxygen gas mixture into vanadium oxide.