Primene® JMT/Versatic acid 10 mixture as ionic liquid extractant for separation process of cobalt(II)/nickel(II) from chloride and mixed chloride/sulfate media in kerosene/water system

BACKGROUND

The recovery of valuable base metals from spent batteries and other secondary sources is gaining interest due to economic and environmental benefits. This study focuses on separating cobalt/nickel from a chloride and mixed chloride/sulfate medium. The ionic liquid [Primene® JMT/Versatic acid 10] in kerosene was used as the extracting agent. We optimized the separation conditions by studying the effects of various experimental parameters, including the concentrations of Primene® JMT amine, [JMT/Versatic acid 10] ionic liquid and added chloride ions.

RESULTS

The introduction of an ideal concentration of 0.04 mol L⁻¹ chloride ions into an aqueous solution with 0.5 mol L⁻¹ sulfate ions results in the most effective separation of the metal mixture, using 10% (v/v) extractant and 18% (v/v) primary amine. The McCabe–Thiele diagram under these optimal conditions indicates that three stages are necessary to achieve a separation of the two metals with an efficiency of 98.4%, at an aqueous-to-organic ratio of 1/2.

CONCLUSION

Co(II) was preferentially extracted in comparison to Ni(II) within the studied systems, demonstrating a favorable separation factor. The findings suggested that the incorporation of chloride ions enhances the separation process noted in the literature, which initially required four extraction steps solely in a sulfate medium. The Primene® JMT/Versatic acid 10 extraction system offers a straightforward method and effective performance for the separation of Co(II) and Ni(II) in chloride and mixed sulfate/chloride media. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).