Recovery of copper, nickel and cobalt from the leach liquor of a sulphide concentrate by solvent extraction

The pressure acid leach liquor of copper concentrate generated at Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), Jaduguda was processed by solvent extraction for the recovery of valuable metals such as copper, nickel and cobalt. Copper from the leach liquor was extracted with LIX 84 in kerosene. From the copper free raffinate cobalt and nickel were separated with sodium salt of Cyanex 272. A scheme was developed to simulate the counter-current extraction of copper and cobalt–nickel.