Nickel Sulphate from Spent Nickel Catalyst

1.

Title of Product/Design/Equipment.

Nickel Sulphate from Spent Nickel Catalyst

2.

IPR Status

Patent /Abroad IPR Details

Patent Filed

3.

Application/Uses

Ni recovery

4.

Salient Technical Feature including Competing Feature

Nickel catalysts used in various operations become spent after several cycles of use, for which a very simple and innovative process is developed at NML for recovery of nickel. The processing step consists of direct acid leaching in presence of a promoter followed by impurity removal to produce nickel salt/metal. The novelty of the process is that, it gives very high nickel recovery (99%) under the moderate conditions in presence of a little quantity of a promoter without which it is found to be very poor even at higher temperature and acid concentration. High purity alumina is produced from the process as a part of leached residue.

5.

Level/Scale of Development

Process developed on 1 kg scale with overall recovery of 96% nickel

6.

Environmental Consideration

Only C02 is produced from the process if the catalyst is contaminated with oil/ghee and the quantity will depend on the organic content in the spent catalyst. About 10-20 kg per ton of iron hydroxide residue is generated

7.

Status of Commercialization

Process demonstrated on 1 kg scale and transferred to M/s SMC Technology, Malaysia

8.

Major Raw Material to be Utilized

Spent nickel catalyst, sulphuric acid, alkali, Promoter.

9.

Major Raw Plant Equipment and Machinery Required

Roaster, Grinding and sieving apparatus, leaching reactors, promoter, filtration unit, pumps, crystalliser etc.

10.

Techno-Economics

For a 10 MT/month capacity plant; Capital cost is ~Rs.75 Lakhs (excluding land & shed). Recurring Expenditure - Rs. 3.5 Lakhs/month (excluding spent catalyst cost).

11.

Technology Package

a) Process-Know-how, (b) Mass Balance, (c) Details of equipment,(d) Plant Layout and (e) Quality Assurance Methods