HydrometallurgyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-26DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106644
Zhenquan Yang , Hannian Gu , Zehai Li , Dawei Fan , Hanjie Wen
{"title":"Sodium sulfate recovery from red mud by selective de-alkalization using ferric sulfate solution and its regeneration","authors":"Zhenquan Yang , Hannian Gu , Zehai Li , Dawei Fan , Hanjie Wen","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106644","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106644","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Red mud (RM) is an alkaline solid waste generated during the production of alumina, and its high alkalinity is a major obstacle to its comprehensive utilization. This study used a leaching process with ferric sulfate (Fe<sub>2</sub>(SO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub>) solution to selectively remove alkaline components from RM. The results showed that the leaching efficiencies of Na and K reached 95.1 and 54.8%, respectively, under the conditions of leaching at room temperature, reaction time of 30 min, using 100 g/L of Fe<sub>2</sub>(SO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub>, and liquid-to-solid ratio of 8 mL/g. The low leaching efficiencies of other elements indicated that Fe<sub>2</sub>(SO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub> solution exhibited good selectivity in the de-alkalization process. The Na<sub>2</sub>O content in the de-alkalized RM was reduced to 0.29%, making it suitable for the use in construction materials. Meanwhile, the Fe consumed and precipitated in the leach residue during the de-alkalization process can be regenerated using 1.5 mol/L H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>. Moreover, the leachate, after supplementation with Fe<sub>2</sub>(SO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub>, was reused for further de-alkalization of new RM samples. Cyclic de-alkalization accumulated the Na content in the leachate allowing the recovery of Na products. The process cannot only reduce the consumption of Fe<sub>2</sub>(SO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub> solution but also enables the Na recovery, and the resulting crude product of Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> can be further separated and purified. In conclusion, the use of Fe<sub>2</sub>(SO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub> solution to regulate the alkalinity of RM provides an economical and environmentally friendly approach for large-scale RM treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106644"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146047859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HydrometallurgyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106650
Zheng Qin , Shunyan Ning , Juan Liu , Lifeng Chen , Mohammed F. Hamza , Yuezhou Wei
{"title":"Synthesis of an organic phosphonic acid functionalized silica-based composite resin for highly efficient separation of scandium(III) from rare earths","authors":"Zheng Qin , Shunyan Ning , Juan Liu , Lifeng Chen , Mohammed F. Hamza , Yuezhou Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106650","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106650","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Scandium (Sc), a member of the rare earths, is widely used in electric lighting, astronautics, nuclear technology, and other important fields. A new type of organic phosphonic acid-functionalized silica-based resin, SiHMP/SiO<sub>2</sub>, was synthesized using a one-step in situ polymerization method for the separation of Sc from the other rare earth elements. It showed good adsorption performance in HNO<sub>3</sub>, HCl, and H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> solutions and especially ultra-high selectivity for Sc in the HNO<sub>3</sub> medium with a high separation factor <em>SF</em><sub>Sc/other metals</sub> ≥ 3089. The maximum adsorption capacity of SiHMP/SiO<sub>2</sub> for Sc in 0.1 M HNO<sub>3</sub> was 28.9, 29.1, 29.6, and 31.5 mg/g at 298 K, 313 K, 328 K, and 343 K, respectively. The resin had fast adsorption kinetics and good resistance to acid and high temperature. The separation of Sc from the other rare earth elements was achieved through the dynamic column experiment. The experimental results and characterization analyses, as well as DFT calculations, showed that the adsorption mechanism involves both ion exchange and coordination, simultaneously.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106650"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146189867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HydrometallurgyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-16DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106632
Qingyun Li , Size Zheng , Benjamin Hsiao
{"title":"Alkanol-enabled instantaneous precipitation of lithium carbonate and phosphate at low temperature","authors":"Qingyun Li , Size Zheng , Benjamin Hsiao","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106632","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106632","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study shows that ethanol addition to supersaturated Li<sup>+</sup>–CO₃<sup>2−</sup> solutions dramatically accelerates the lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃) precipitation from brine. With an addition of ≥5 vol% ethanol, precipitation becomes instantaneous, completing within ∼30 min at room temperature versus >1 day without ethanol, and is even faster at higher temperatures, in some cases reaching equilibrium within seconds. Ethanol addition produces much finer Li₂CO₃ particles than those without ethanol. The observed behavior seems to be specific to lithium salts: lithium phosphate (Li₃PO₄) showed similar acceleration, whereas CaCO₃ and MgCO₃ did not. Pre-mixing ethanol with Li<sup>+</sup> before carbonate addition did not show this effect, indicating the importance of timing. The mechanism of the demonstrated method involves ethanol collapsing nucleation barrier rather than changing the equilibrium solubility. This approach potentially enables energy-efficient Li recovery at lower temperatures for shorter durations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106632"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HydrometallurgyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106647
Toni Kauppinen , Tuomas Vielma , Justin Salminen , Mikael Manninen , Tao Hu , Ulla Lassi
{"title":"Utilization of Ni-rich NCM cathode material as oxidant to control manganese in Li-ion battery waste recycling","authors":"Toni Kauppinen , Tuomas Vielma , Justin Salminen , Mikael Manninen , Tao Hu , Ulla Lassi","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106647","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106647","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Manganese control is a crucial step in lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycling processes. Older cathode active materials (CAM) have manganese concentrations excessively high for modern high‑nickel cathode active materials. This study explores the use of the cathode active materials' oxidative properties for manganese removal during the leaching process utilizing synthetic solutions. Furthermore, delithiated cathode material was utilized to facilitate manganese removal from the NCM622 leachate. Preliminary experiments involved leaching various cathode materials in sulfuric acid without the addition of common reducing agent, such as H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>. Results indicated that 35–50 wt-% of the transition metals could be leached from the cathode material in the absence of a reducing agent. Additionally, after approximately 90 wt-% of the lithium had been removed, manganese was effectively employed as a reducing agent for nickel and cobalt. A carefully controlled initial concentration of manganese sulfate achieved >99% leaching yield of Ni and Co, while precipitating MnO<sub>2</sub> with nickel and cobalt impurities below 1 wt-%. Moreover, Ni-rich cathode materials were successfully utilized to control Mn in the NMC622 recycling solution. Manganese removal efficiency was also studied using delithiated cathode materials at different lithium yields. Manganese removal yield was lower, if over 80% delithiation yield was obtained in separate delithiation reaction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106647"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110058","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HydrometallurgyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106651
Yunchang Fan , Yafang Tian , Yanhe Nie , Lei Yang , Bowen Chen , Hongwei Wu , Haibao Zhu
{"title":"Rapid and efficient extraction of gold from copper(II)-ammonia-thiosulfate leachate using the benzyl functionalized ionic liquid-based extraction system","authors":"Yunchang Fan , Yafang Tian , Yanhe Nie , Lei Yang , Bowen Chen , Hongwei Wu , Haibao Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106651","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106651","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thiosulfate leaching has been regarded as an environmentally benign alternative to the toxic cyanidation process for the gold recovery. However, the efficient extraction of gold from thiosulfate solutions remains a significant challenge. To address this issue, an ionic liquid (IL)-based extraction system was developed. A benzyl-functionalized IL was identified as the optimal extractant, enabling ultra-fast and highly efficient recovery of gold under optimal conditions, including a gold concentration of 10 mg/L, an extraction time of 1.0 min, an aqueous to organic phase volume ratio (A/O) of 150 and an extraction efficiency of 98.2%. The extraction of gold was found to proceed via an ion-pair mechanism and was governed by the synergistic effects of hydrophobic interaction, π–π stacking, and hydrogen bonding. The proposed IL-based extraction system was successfully applied to the extraction of gold from the thiosulfate leachate of gold ore and exhibited excellent selectivity. These results demonstrate that the benzyl-functionalized IL-based extraction system provides an effective and rapid approach for the highly efficient extraction of gold from thiosulfate solutions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106651"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146189866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HydrometallurgyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-05DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106648
Jinfen Kuang , Jilong Liu , Xiaolin Pan , Haiyan Yu
{"title":"Removal of impurity anions from sodium aluminate solution based on high temperature desilication process","authors":"Jinfen Kuang , Jilong Liu , Xiaolin Pan , Haiyan Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106648","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106648","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The impurity anions derived from bauxite in the sodium aluminate solution exhibit a detrimental effect on the alumina recovery and product quality. In this paper, the effects of oxalate, vanadate and fluoride impurities on the composition and structure of the desilication products (DSPs) were investigated. Oxalate and vanadate enhance the desilication efficiency by approximately 30% compared with the absence of anions, while a diminishing effect was obtained with increasing anion concentrations. The incorporation of oxalate, vanadate and fluoride hardly induces phase transformation, and the main phase of DSPs is hydroxysodalite. Target anions hinder the adsorption of Al(OH)<sub>4</sub><sup>−</sup> and OH<sup>−</sup> by the DSP cage during the desilication process, decreasing the alkalinity and alumina content in DSP cages and increasing the silica saturation coefficient of DSPs. Spectral analysis confirms the successful removal of oxalate and vanadate by forming DSPs, as evident from the presence of C<img>O and <em>V</em><img>O bonds. This study achieved the simultaneous removal of oxalate, vanadate and fluoride during the high temperature desilication process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106648"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146189865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HydrometallurgyPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-16DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106634
Jiaxuan Liu, Taiwei Chu
{"title":"Rapid separation of TeO32− from MoO42− in alkaline aqueous solution by metal-organic resins with high adsorption capacity and selectivity","authors":"Jiaxuan Liu, Taiwei Chu","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106634","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106634","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As one of the most essential medical isotopes, the efficient separation and purification of <sup>99</sup>Mo is of critical importance. However, methods or materials enabling highly efficient and selective separation of TeO<sub>3</sub><sup>2−</sup> and MoO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup> remain scarce. In this study, two types of metal-organic resin (MOR) were synthesized using the UIO-66-NH<sub>2</sub> metal-organic framework (MOF) in combination with alginic acid (denoted as MOR-1-HA) or carboxymethyl cellulose (denoted as MOR-1-X). These MORs exhibit ion adsorption performance, attributable to their direct, eco-friendly and cost-effective synthesis, as well as their large particle size. The separation of TeO<sub>3</sub><sup>2−</sup> and MoO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup> presents a considerable challenge owing to their similar chemical properties and divalent anionic nature. Nevertheless, successful separation was achieved using MOR-1-HA and MOR-1-X. Within a pH range of 9.50 to 10.0, the maximum adsorption capacities of MOR-1-HA and MOR-1-X for TeO<sub>3</sub><sup>2−</sup> reached 603.0 ± 1.2 mg g<sup>−1</sup> and 569.1 ± 1.0 mg g<sup>−1</sup>, respectively, with separation factors (SF<sub>Te/Mo</sub>) of 6.03 × 10<sup>4</sup> and 7.77 × 10<sup>4</sup>, meeting the standards set by the European Pharmacopoeia. Furthermore, in simulated alkaline leachates of tellurite type gold ores, the adsorption capacity of MOR-1-HA for TeO<sub>3</sub><sup>2−</sup> was 15.1 ± 0.3 mg g<sup>−1</sup> with an adsorption percentage of 92.1 ± 1.8%, while MOR-1-X exhibited values of 17.9 ± 0.5 mg g<sup>−1</sup> and 95.4 ± 2.7%, respectively. Both MORs demonstrated thermal stability up to 300 °C and maintained structural integrity under an absorbed irradiation dose of 400 kGy. The adsorption mechanism was also systematically investigated. Owing to their exceptional performance, MOR-1-HA and MOR-1-X show great potential for application in the separation of TeO<sub>3</sub><sup>2−</sup> from MoO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup> in alkaline aqueous media. These two MORs are also able to remove TeO<sub>3</sub><sup>2−</sup> from alkaline leaching solution of tellurite type gold ores.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106634"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146001809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biooxidation of FeS2 and FeAsS in refractory gold ores: A comparative study of aeration in stirred tank reactors using holes in ring-tube and porous ceramic-plate spargers","authors":"Yanzhen Chen , Guangji Zhang , Jiale Guo , Chao Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106645","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2026.106645","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oxygen mass transfer is a key factor limiting the performance of biooxidation processes for refractory gold concentrates. In this study, the aeration performance of the ring tube sparger and the porous ceramic plate sparger was investigated. At a 10% pulp density, microbubbles generated by the porous ceramic plate significantly enhanced oxygen mass transfer, resulting in a higher <em>k</em><sub>L</sub><em>a</em> of 4.21 × 10<sup>−2</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>, approximately twice that achieved with the ring sparger under identical conditions. In the reactor with the porous ceramic plate, the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration was maintained at approximately 6000 μg/L, and the redox potential (Eh) exceeded 700 mV at the end of the experiments. In contrast, the DO concentration decreased to below 1000 μg/L, and Eh was only about 600 mV in the ring tube sparger reactor. The elevated DO and Eh induced by microbubbles enhanced the dissolution of sulfide minerals, particularly pyrite (FeS<sub>2</sub>). The leaching mechanism was derived from mineralogical analyses and microstructural characterization. When the pulp density was increased to 20% (<em>w</em>/w), the aeration performance of the porous ceramic plate was weakened, as evident from the reduced oxygen mass transfer rate and resultant lower Eh. However, it still outperformed the ring tube sparger. These results demonstrate that mild microbubble aeration is an effective strategy for enhancing oxygen mass transfer and biooxidation efficiency in the process of refractory gold concentrates, providing useful guidance for optimizing industrial biooxidation reactors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106645"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HydrometallurgyPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-07DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106624
Thabo Sibanda, Senzo Mgabhi, Jemitias Chivavava, Alison E. Lewis
{"title":"A novel method using CO2 to precipitate MnCO3 for a lithium-ion battery precursor","authors":"Thabo Sibanda, Senzo Mgabhi, Jemitias Chivavava, Alison E. Lewis","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106624","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106624","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A novel method using carbon dioxide gas (CO<sub>2</sub>) and ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>) to precipitate MnCO<sub>3</sub> for a lithium-ion battery precursor was investigated. This MnCO<sub>3</sub> was recovered from a high-tenor industrial MnSO<sub>4</sub> pregnant leach solution (PLS) containing Mg<sup>2+</sup> and Ca<sup>2+</sup> impurities. The leach solution consisted of at least 93.9 wt% Mn<sup>2+</sup>, 2.25 wt% Mg<sup>2+</sup>, and 0.14 wt% Ca<sup>2+</sup>. In this study, results from thermodynamic simulations were compared to experimental results. The effects of pH (5.0 to 6.6) and CO<sub>2</sub> bubbling time (1 to 12 h) were investigated in laboratory experiments where 0.4 L/min of CO<sub>2</sub> was sparged into a 1 L agitated reactor (500 rpm) containing the PLS. The thermodynamic simulation results showed that Mn<sup>2+</sup> recovery is optimal in the pH range of 5.9–11.7, with recovery increasing with pH. However, high Mn<sup>2+</sup> selectivity is favourable at pH < 6.6, while moderate selectivity is achieved at pH values from 6.3 to 7.2. The experimental results showed an optimal Mn recovery of 61.3 % at a pH of 6.6 and CO<sub>2</sub> bubbling time of 8 h. This was significantly lower than the values predicted from thermodynamic simulation (>94 % Mn recovery at pH above 5). This difference in recovery was attributed to the slow dissolution rate of CO<sub>2</sub>. The washed MnCO<sub>3</sub> precipitate contained 99.0 wt% Mn, 0.13 wt% Ca, and 0.05 wt% Mg. This was equivalent to rejections of 97 % Mg<sup>2+</sup> and 81 % Ca<sup>2+</sup> from the MnCO<sub>3</sub> precipitate, respectively. The product purity met the high-purity Mn specifications but was slightly lower than the battery-grade Mn specifications (ultra-purity Mn). This study showed that carbonate precipitation using CO<sub>2</sub> and NH<sub>3</sub> can selectively recover Mn<sup>2+</sup> from an industrial MnSO<sub>4</sub> leachate containing high Mg<sup>2+</sup> and Ca<sup>2+</sup> impurities, and this process has great potential for industrial application.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"240 ","pages":"Article 106624"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145689597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HydrometallurgyPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106621
Kyoung Hun Choi , Jinmyung Jang , Sevan Bedrossian , Gisele Azimi
{"title":"Impurity incorporation and selective removal in NiSO₄•6H₂O crystals: Mechanistic insights for battery-grade purification","authors":"Kyoung Hun Choi , Jinmyung Jang , Sevan Bedrossian , Gisele Azimi","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106621","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106621","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High-purity nickel sulfate hexahydrate (NiSO₄•6H₂O) is a critical precursor for lithium-ion battery (LIB) cathode materials, particularly in the context of battery recycling and sustainable nickel supply. This study investigates the incorporation and removal behavior of key impurities, Li<sup>+</sup>, Na<sup>+</sup>, Ca<sup>2+</sup>, Mg<sup>2+</sup>, and Co<sup>2+</sup>, during the evaporative crystallization and purification of NiSO₄•6H₂O from synthetic solutions representative of LIB leachates. Crystals were subjected to sequential displacement and repulp washing, followed by impurity mapping through stepwise dissolution. Advanced characterization using ToF-SIMS, XRD, and SEM-EDS was employed to elucidate impurity localization and uptake mechanisms. Results reveal two distinct modes of impurity incorporation. Some impurity ions (Li<sup>+</sup>, Na<sup>+</sup>, and Ca<sup>2+</sup>) were predominantly surface-adsorbed and readily removed through post-crystallization washing, while Mg<sup>2+</sup> and Co<sup>2+</sup> were retained within the crystal lattice via isomorphous substitution with Ni<sup>2+</sup>. A minor fraction of Li<sup>+</sup> exhibited uniform incorporation consistent with interstitial uptake. Impurity mapping confirmed solid solution behavior for Mg<sup>2+</sup>, Co<sup>2+</sup>, and residual Li<sup>+</sup>, while ToF-SIMS validated the surface association of Na<sup>+</sup> and Li<sup>+</sup>. Post-crystallization purification improved nickel purity from below battery-grade to 99.87 %, highlighting the importance of tailored washing strategies. These findings provide mechanistic insight into impurity behavior in hydrated nickel sulfate systems and establish a framework for optimizing crystallization and purification to meet the stringent purity demands of battery-grade materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"240 ","pages":"Article 106621"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145650911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}