Recovery by solvent extraction of vanadium from spent catalysts leaching solutions using primene 81R

Abstract

Recovery of vanadium contained in solutions coming from spent catalysts leaching process by means of solvent extraction techniques using primary amine Primene 81R, has been studied in this work, resulting in an industrial multistage process for the treatment of these effluents. Results obtained allows to propose an extraction mechanism for vanadium(V) with this amine in acidic media, verifying the great influence of pH on the process and fix adequate ranges for variables: O/A ratio, organic phase composition, pH, stirring speed and phase separation speed. These values were simulated in industrial conditions. Vanadium is finally recovered by means of precipitation as ammonium metavanadate and later calcination to obtain vanadium pentoxide of commercial grade.