Method of separating cobalt-nickel-manganese

Claim 1

IN A HYDROMETHALLURGICAL PROCESS FOR RECOVERING A SUBSTANTIALLY NICKEL-FREE COBALT SOLUTION FROM A LIQUOR CONTAINING DISSOLVED NICKEL SULFATE AND COBALT SULFATE WHICH COMPRISES ADJUSTING THE SOLUTES CONTENTS OF SAID LIQUOR TO PROVIDE ABOUT 5 MOLS OF AMMONIA FOR EACH MOL OF DISSOLVED COBALT AND ABOUT 5 MOLS OF AMMONIA FOR EACH MOL OD DISSOLVED NICKEL, AND A SULFATE ION CONCENTRATION AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO SATISFY THE DISSOLVED COBALT CONTENT IN ITS TRIVALENT STATE AND DISSOLVED NICKEL IN ITS BIVALENT STATE; OXIDIZING THE ADJUSTED LIQUOR WITH A SULFURFREE, OXYGEN-BEARING OXIDIZING GAS; INTRODUCING SULFURIC ACID INTO SAID OXIDIZED LIQUOR TO PRODUCE A HYDROGEN ION CONCENTRATION GREATER THAN THAT EQUIVALENT TO A PH OF ABOUT 4 WHEREBY A SUBSTANTIALLY COBALT-FREE NICKEL-BEARING PRECIPITATE IS FORMED; AND SEPARATING SIAD PRECIPITATE LEAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY NICKEL-FREE COBALT-BEARING LIQUOR, THE IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINATION THEREWITH FOR TREATING A LIQUOR CONTAINING DISSOLVED MANGANESE AS WELL AS DISSOLVED NICKEL AND COBALT SULFATES WHICH COMPRISES: OXIDIZING THE ADJUSTED LIQUOR UNTIL PRECIPITATION OF MANGANESE OXIDE SUBSTANTIALLY CEASES, AND THEN CONTINUING OXIDATION FOR SUFFICIENT ADDITIONAL TIME TO OXIDIZE SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE DISSOLVED COBALT CONTENT.