Abstract
Cobaltic oxide minerals are readily dissolved in mildly acidic sulfuric solutions provided a reducing agent is also present. Sulfur dioxide is the most common reductant recommended for this purpose, but its addition during the leaching step could lead to significant environmental problems and could affect the recovery of copper if present in large amounts. This paper presents a novel approach whereby the reductant used during the leach is ferrous sulfate and sulfur dioxide is added at a later stage in a controlled manner to regenerate the reductant after any copper present has been recovered. Sulfur dioxide can also be used during purification of the cobalt bleed, where, blended with oxygen, it constitutes a powerful oxidant capable of selectively oxidizing and precipitating manganese away from the cobalt. This paper will present several applications of the use of sulfur dioxide as a primary reductant, a regenerant for ferrous sulfate, and a selective oxidant for manganese.
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Ferron, C.J. Sulfur dioxide: A versatile reagent for the processing of cobaltic oxide minerals. JOM 60, 50–54 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-008-0136-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-008-0136-6