Studies on the recovery of useful chemicals from waste and secondary materials

Chapter 1 of the thesis introduces the technique of hydrometal lurgy , and describes its background in relation to pyrometallurgy, the chemital methods used in hydrometallurgy and its application to metal recovery, with particular reference to the recovery of metals as useful compounds. Chapters 2 and 3 show that hydrometallurgical methods can be applied to recovery of metals, as useful compounds, from waste and secondary materials. Chapter 2 descibes the recovery of nickel from a spent industrial catalyst as a smelting grade nickel oxide. Two different recovery concepts are investigated, the first involving the precipitation of the primary metal leaving impurities in solution, and the second involving the separation of impurities and leaving the primary metal in solution. Chapter 3 descibes an investigation into the recovery of zinc and copper, as commercially useful chlorides, from industrial waste, and it is shown, on a laboratory scale, that the recovery route can be integrated into an established manufacturing process with advantage. Chapter 4, the final chapter, describes ion exchange and reviews the practical application of anion exchange resins to the hydrometallurgical recovery of metals. This is followed by a review of the exchange resin poly-4-vinyl pyridine, and a study into the practical application of the resin to the extraction of metals from solution. The metals chosen for investigation are a selection of those most often present as impurities in hydrometallurgical solutions. It is shown that the resin exhibits good metal selectivity under various experimental conditions.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

The City University

Year dc:date.issued

1990

Author dc:creator

• Boddington, Stephen Charles

• QD Chemistry