Nickel and cobalt recovery using continuous ion exchange

A method for recovering nickel and cobalt from a product liquor solution by processing the product liquor solution through a continuous ion exchange process comprising a plurality of ion exchange beds containing nickel selective ion exchange resin that pass through individual process zones as part of a nickel recovery circuit, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

• (a) passing the product liquor solution through an ion exchange bed to load nickel onto the ion exchange resin and produce a cobalt-containing raffinate solution having a concentration of cobalt defined by a molar quantity, and a nickel loaded ion exchange bed,
• (b) passing a sulfuric acid solution through the nickel loaded ion exchange bed to strip nickel from the ion exchange resin and produce a nickel-containing eluate and a stripped ion exchange bed,
• (c) passing a rinse solution through the stripped ion exchange bed,
• (d) adjusting the cobalt-containing raffinate solution to a pH of at least 2.3,
• (e) passing the cobalt-containing raffinate solution through an ion exchange bed to pre-load cobalt on the ion exchange resin,
• (f) repeating step (a) though (e) until the cobalt concentration of the cobalt-containing raffinate solution increases to at least twice that of the product liquor solution, and
• (g) removing a first portion of the cobalt-containing raffinate solution of step (d) from the nickel recovery circuit for subsequent cobalt recovery wherein the cobalt-containing raffinate solution has a molar quantity of cobalt, and
• (h) passing a second portion of the cobalt-containing raffinate solution from step (d) to step (e).