Use of D2ehpa as an Extractant for the Recovery Of Cu, Ni, Co & Zn From Ammoniacal Leach Liquor of Sea Nodules

Extraction studies for copper, nickel , cobalti and zinc from ammoniacal- ammonium carbonate solution of Indian ocean nodules were undertaken using Di -2-ethyl-hexyl-phosphoric acid(D2EHPA). The leach solution was processed for the metal extraction-separation applying the coextraction concept . Besides studying the effect of ammonia concentration , and O/A ratio in different contacts, kinetics of extraction and simulation of continuous extraction were investigated. The simulation experiments carried out on bench scale resulted in the extraction of over 90% cobalt and zinc , and 80- 82% copper and nickel from the ocean nodules in a continuous
operation with the leach liquor using 0.75M D2EHPA with 20% isodecanol in kerosene.