{"title":"Novel diisobutyl diamide grafted polymer resin for uranium recovery from mild nitric acid medium","authors":"Vinita Kumari , Ritesh Ruhela , Dhruva Kumar Singh , Mahesh Tiwari , Sanjay Kumar Sahu","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106552","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106552","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A novel diisobutyl diamide (DIBDA) grafted resin was synthesized by chemically grafting the amidic functionalities onto a commercially available styrene-divinylbenzene polymer resin. The resin was characterized using standard techniques such as FTIR, solid-state 13-C CP/MAS NMR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The sorption behavior of uranium and competing metal ions was systematically evaluated in both batch and column modes. Optimal uranium uptake was achieved from a dilute nitric acid medium at pH 2–3 in the presence of 2.0 M nitrate ions. More than 98 % uranium was stripped efficiently in a single step using 0.25 M HNO<sub>3</sub>. Column studies using a feed containing 0.1 g/L U and a 6 mL resin bed volume yielded a strip solution with uranium concentration exceeding 1.2 g/L, corresponding to a concentration factor above 12. The resin exhibited excellent selectivity for uranium over common matrix elements such as Fe, Y, Ca, Al, and Na. Kinetic studies and sorption isotherm modelling revealed the significant role of amidic functional groups in the selective and efficient sorption of U(VI).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 106552"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144893328","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 : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106547
Gabriela Costa Caetano , Flávia Corrêa Rodrigues , Indianara Conceição Ostroski , Maria Angélica Simões Dornellas de Barros
{"title":"Low-cost alternative for iron recovery in lateritic nickel production by using ferronickel refining slag and kiln dust for iron precipitation from acid leachate","authors":"Gabriela Costa Caetano , Flávia Corrêa Rodrigues , Indianara Conceição Ostroski , Maria Angélica Simões Dornellas de Barros","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106547","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106547","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Iron is a primary contaminant in the acid-leaching solution during lateritic nickel production. Additionally, the accumulation of pyrometallurgical tailings from conventional nickel ore processing presents a significant challenge for industrial mining operations. This study addresses these issues by utilizing ferronickel slags (refining slag and kiln dust) as alternative neutralizing agents for the precipitation and recovery of iron from sulfuric leaching solutions. A 2<sup>3</sup> factorial orthogonal experimental design, including two central points and six axial points, was employed to investigate the effects of agent concentrations on iron precipitation and nickel co-precipitation. The results were optimized based on response surface analysis and filtration resistance parameters. Slags and precipitated materials were characterized using XRD and XRF techniques, while initial and final liquors were analyzed via ICP-OES. Due to its high CaO content (58.33 wt%), the slag exhibited a neutralizing capacity comparable to commercial calcium and sodium carbonates. Optimal concentrations of slag (5.14 %) and kiln dust (25 %) achieved approximately 80 % removal of Fe<sup>2+</sup>/Fe<sup>3+</sup>, alongside a 46 % increase in Ni<sup>2+</sup> recovery from the initial leaching solution. Precipitated iron oxides can be recovered through a reduction step, followed by washing or magnetic separation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 106547"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144704153","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 : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-07-21DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106537
Qiong Ye , Fengshan Yu , Xunwei Ma , Jiashuang Wang , Kaihan Cai , Lincai Wang , Jian-Ping Zou
{"title":"An electrometallurgical and mechanochemical approach for the recovery of platinum group metals from spent automotive catalysts","authors":"Qiong Ye , Fengshan Yu , Xunwei Ma , Jiashuang Wang , Kaihan Cai , Lincai Wang , Jian-Ping Zou","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106537","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106537","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In response to the escalating scarcity of resources, the practice of recycling waste has emerged as a pivotal strategy for sustainable development. In the present study, an innovative method is introduced to enhance the recovery of platinum group metals (PGMs) from spent automotive catalysts (SACs), involving an integrated electrochemical metallurgy process integrating mechanochemical reduction pretreatment and electrochemical leaching. An in-depth exploration on the influences of mechanochemical ball-milling parameters and electrochemical leaching conditions on PGM recovery yielded insightful results. Notably, Zn emerges as a key catalyst to promote the generation of highly reactive PGM particles, facilitate grinding, reduce platinum group metal oxides, and alloy with PGMs. The mechanochemical reduction pretreatment significantly reduces the apparent dissolution activation energies of Pd, Pt, and Rh from 40.1 kJ/mol, 43.7 kJ/mol, and 62.5 kJ/mol to 13.2 kJ/mol, 17.5 kJ/mol, and 22.1 kJ/mol, respectively. Following optimization through orthogonal experiments, the leaching efficiencies of Pd, Pt, and Rh reached exceptional levels: 98.5 %, 98.1 %, and 93.3 %, respectively. This study unveils a highly efficient and practical approach for leaching PGMs from SACs, which is conducive to sustainable resource management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 106537"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144704158","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 : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-07-29DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106536
Wenjia Kou , Wengang Liu , Wenbao Liu , Wei Zuo , Weichao Li
{"title":"Microwave-enhanced leaching of magnesium and iron from iron-bearing serpentine tailings","authors":"Wenjia Kou , Wengang Liu , Wenbao Liu , Wei Zuo , Weichao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106536","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106536","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To improve the utilization of valuable metal components in iron-bearing serpentine tailings, leaching experiments were conducted with microwave pretreatment, and the leaching conditions were optimized. The MgO and total Fe (Fe(II) and Fe(III)) leaching efficiencies reached 97.0 % and 50.9 %, respectively, using 3.0 wt% fluorite (CaF<sub>2</sub>) powder (relative to the raw ore mass), 400 W microwave pretreatment for 3 min, 70 °C reaction temperature, 30 min reaction time, 4.0 mol/L sulfuric acid, 4:1 liquid–solid ratio (mL/g), and 300 rpm stirring speed. Therefore, microwave pretreatment significantly improves the leaching efficiencies of magnesium and iron in iron-bearing serpentine tailings with the assistance of fluorite. This is because hematite in the iron-bearing serpentine tailings is less reactive toward sulfuric acid in the conventional leaching process. By contrast, microwave irradiation alters the phase composition of hematite in the serpentine tailings, enhancing its reactivity with sulfuric acid and thus facilitating iron leaching.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 106536"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144750658","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 : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106546
Zesen Zhao , Huiquan Li , Chenye Wang , Peng Xing
{"title":"Selective and efficient extraction of nickel and cobalt from laterite ores using the sulfation-roasting and leaching-precipitation process with H2O2 and surfactant addition","authors":"Zesen Zhao , Huiquan Li , Chenye Wang , Peng Xing","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106546","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106546","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The recovery of nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co) from laterite ores has attracted significant attention due to the increasing demand for these metals in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. While the sulfation-roasting-leaching process offers a viable route for extracting Ni and Co from laterite ores, the co-extraction of iron (Fe) remains a major challenge. To address this, the present study investigated the selective extraction of Ni and Co by optimizing equilibrium pH control and introducing stearyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (STAC), a cationic surfactant, during the leaching stage. Controlling the equilibrium pH of the slurry in the absence of STAC improved the selectivity of leaching Ni and Co over Fe. However, this pH adjustment also reduced the extraction of Ni and Co due to their adsorption onto hydroxide precipitates. Remarkably, the addition of STAC significantly enhanced Ni and Co recovery by modifying the surface properties of the leach residues. Mechanistic analysis revealed that STAC increased the zeta potential of the surface of residue particles and reduced particle agglomeration. These changes inhibited the adsorption and co-precipitation of Ni<sup>2+</sup> and Co<sup>2+</sup> with residues. Under optimized conditions (equilibrium pH 3.5 with 0.1 wt% STAC), the extraction reached 97.7 % for Ni and 97.4 % for Co, while Fe extraction was suppressed to 0.2 %. These results demonstrate a promising strategy for achieving high selectivity and efficiency in Ni/Co recovery from laterite ores, offering potential advantages over conventional hydrometallurgical approaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 106546"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144704159","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 : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-07-03DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106530
Farva Arshad , Munirah Atique Khan , Attiqa Nasir , Muhammad Haider Ali , Lubna Basit , Muhammad Nasir Siddique , Muhammad Nadeem
{"title":"Precipitation of rare earth phosphates through apatite leach as by-product of nitrophos acid from unconventional phosphate deposit of carbonatite, Malakand, Pakistan","authors":"Farva Arshad , Munirah Atique Khan , Attiqa Nasir , Muhammad Haider Ali , Lubna Basit , Muhammad Nasir Siddique , Muhammad Nadeem","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106530","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106530","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The igneous carbonatite apatite ore of Sellai Patti (Malakand, Pakistan) was beneficiated through mineral processing methods (crushing, grinding, gravity separation, and magnetic separation). The concentrate [Ca<sub>5</sub>(PO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub>, F] (30 % P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>, 0.7 % REEs) was leached with 65 % nitric acid (S/L 0.42, 65 °C, 700 rpm). The leachate (2.78 g/L REEs, 154 g/L P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>) yielded a 92 % recovery of REEs. Precipitation of REEs was performed with 33 % ammonia solution by two different methods. The direct precipitation process (DPP), produced REE precipitates (34 %) at a pH of 0.2–0.5 with a subsequent hot washing. The remaining filtrate, after precipitation, contained REEs at a low concentration of 0.2 g/L, 97 g/L P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> and calcium up to 102 g/L. In the nitrophos precipitation process (NPP), a pre-concentration of REEs from 2.8 g/L to 4.1 g/L was observed through the removal of dissolved calcium in the form of calcium nitrate tetrahydrate (CNTH) as a result of freezing the leachate at −20 °C. The precipitates (9 % REEs) obtained at pH 1.7 followed by its re-dissolution in 65 % nitric acid (S/L 1:10) and overnight recrystallization with 50 % excess oxalic acid enhanced REEs concentration up to 30 %. The leftover nitrophos acid (NP acid), a precursor of nitrophos fertilizer, contained only <1 mg/L of REEs, 135 g/L of P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>, and up to 40 g/L of calcium. The present research advances a sustainable and efficient methodology for the extraction of REEs through an innovative and significantly effective DPP.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"236 ","pages":"Article 106530"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572671","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 : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-06-13DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106518
Jing Xie , Songwen Xiao , Dongfu Liu , Sizhe Li , Wenhua Xu , Guoxing Ren
{"title":"Recovery of lithium from spent LiFexMn1-xPO4 batteries through a leaching-precipitation method using H2SO4-H2O2-Na2S2O8","authors":"Jing Xie , Songwen Xiao , Dongfu Liu , Sizhe Li , Wenhua Xu , Guoxing Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106518","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106518","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As high-performance cathode materials, LiFe<sub>x</sub>Mn<sub>1−x</sub>PO<sub>4</sub> (LMFP) batteries will become important lithium resources in the foreseeable future. In this study, a novel asynchronous oxidation approach was proposed to selectively recover Li from spent LMFP cathode powders. The spent LMFP powders were first selectively leached with H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> in sulfuric acid media, and the leachate was oxidatively precipitated with Na<sub>2</sub>S<sub>2</sub>O<sub>8</sub>, resulting in a Li-rich solution. During this process, Fe and Mn can also be recovered in the form of FePO<sub>4</sub>·2H<sub>2</sub>O and MnPO<sub>4</sub>·H<sub>2</sub>O, respectively. The effects of the reaction conditions on the reaction efficiency were investigated in detail. The mechanism of lithium selective extraction was studied using thermodynamics and analyses based on X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS). The total leaching efficiencies of Li, Fe, and Mn were 93.2 %, 99.9 %, and 97.0 %, respectively, under optimal conditions. A closed-loop process was finally proposed for recycling spent LMFP cathode powders. The process is environmentally friendly and economically feasible based on the technoeconomic analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"236 ","pages":"Article 106518"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144297406","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 : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-06-15DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106517
Yanfei Fan , Dongdong Li , Ziyu Zhuang , Dandan Gao , Dewen Zeng
{"title":"Thermodynamic modelling of the Li-Na-K-OH-SO4-H2O system for lithium hydroxide production simulation","authors":"Yanfei Fan , Dongdong Li , Ziyu Zhuang , Dandan Gao , Dewen Zeng","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106517","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106517","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The caustic addition process to Li<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> leachate is a principal industrial process in producing lithium hydroxide. This process relies on the double-decomposition reaction between Li<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> and NaOH in an aqueous system, followed by cooling to separate Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>∙10H<sub>2</sub>O and evaporation to produce LiOH∙H<sub>2</sub>O. Due to the presence of Na and K impurities in lithium minerals, the operation takes place in the complex aqueous system Li-Na-K-OH-SO<sub>4</sub>-H<sub>2</sub>O. This work describes: (i) the development of a thermodynamic model for the complex Li-Na-K-OH-SO<sub>4</sub>-H<sub>2</sub>O system, (ii) validation of its reliability and (iii) quantitative simulation of lithium-hydroxide production. The results led to four key conclusions: 1) A relatively low concentration (Li < 20 g/L) in the caustic solution prevents the formation of Li<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>∙3Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>∙12H<sub>2</sub>O, the principal source of lithium loss. 2) The optimal cooling temperature for removing Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>∙10H<sub>2</sub>O is −10 to −15 °C. 3) A moderate evaporation temperature (50–60 °C) is critical for achieving the high recovery of LiOH∙H<sub>2</sub>O in a single cycle. 4) The mother liquor remaining after the crystallisation of LiOH∙H<sub>2</sub>O can be fully recycled. Theoretically, Na and K are completely removed as Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>∙10H<sub>2</sub>O and NaK<sub>3</sub>(SO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub> solids.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"236 ","pages":"Article 106517"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144307828","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 : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-07-14DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106535
Frank K. Crundwell
{"title":"On the mechanism of the dissolution of gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate)","authors":"Frank K. Crundwell","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106535","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106535","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The dissolution of minerals is central to many fields of research interest, including hydrometallurgy, materials science, and geochemistry. The successful development of a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of dissolution will have an impact on these fields. The challenge for the dissolution of gypsum is that rate of dissolution is proportional to the molar concentration of the dissolved salt, yet the solubility product is proportional to the square of the molar concentration of dissolved salt. Deriving an expression that is consistent with both the kinetics and thermodynamics has vexed researchers for decades. Furthermore, the zeta potential of gypsum shows no clear dependence on pH. In this paper, we show that the experimental data for the kinetics of dissolution, the thermodynamics describing the solubility product, and the zeta potential describing the surface charge are reconciled by accounting for the surface charge using the surface vacancy model of dissolution, and in doing so provide insight into the elementary steps involved in the dissolution of gypsum.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"236 ","pages":"Article 106535"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144656395","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 : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-06-16DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106519
Kuifang Zhang , Bohan Wei , Bin Zeng , Sen Qiu , Xiaocong Zhong , Ruixiang Wang
{"title":"Recovery of transition metals (Ni, Co, and Mn) and Li from the sulfate leach solutions of spent ternary lithium-ion batteries by stepwise solvent extraction and precipitation","authors":"Kuifang Zhang , Bohan Wei , Bin Zeng , Sen Qiu , Xiaocong Zhong , Ruixiang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106519","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hydromet.2025.106519","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sulfate leachate from spent ternary lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) contain valuable metals, such as transition metals (Ni, Co, and Mn) and Li, and impurity metals, such as Al and Fe. Selectively separating them from solutions is necessary for their recovery. In this work, a stepwise solvent extraction and precipitation process is proposed for the selective separation and recovery of transition metals (Ni, Co, and Mn) and Li from sulfate-leaching solutions of spent ternary lithium-ion batteries. First, 100 % of the impurity metals (Al and Fe) were selectively removed from the solution through a single-stage extraction using 22.5 % (<em>v</em>/v) N1923 in sulfonated kerosene at an O/A ratio of 1:1 for 10 min. The losses of the transition metals (Ni, Co, and Mn) and Li were only 1.65 %. The Al and Fe in the loaded organic system was completely stripped using a 1 mol/L HNO<sub>3</sub> solution, followed by regeneration with sodium carbonate solution. Subsequently, the raffinate (pH = 4.46) was directly used for the co-extraction of Ni, Co, and Mn by Cyanex 272. A five-stage countercurrent extraction was performed with an organic system consisting of 1 mol/L Cyanex 272 (saponification degree: 50 %) in sulfonated kerosene, using an O/A ratio of 2.25:1. Nearly all of the Ni, Co, and Mn were extracted, while only 1.43 % Li was co-extracted. The extracted Ni, Co, and Mn in the loaded organic system were completely stripped through five-stage counter-current stripping using 1 mol/L H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> with an O/A ratio of 5:1. During the stepwise solvent extraction process, stripped solutions of Ni, Co, Mn, and Li raffinates were sent to precipitate the pure ternary material precursors and Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>. This study introduces a novel method for recycling spent ternary lithium-ion batteries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13193,"journal":{"name":"Hydrometallurgy","volume":"236 ","pages":"Article 106519"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144321257","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}