Recovery of cobalt, molybdenum, nickel and vanadium from an aqueous ammonia and ammonium salt solution by precipitating vanadium and subsequent serial ion exchange

Claim 1

A process for separating metal values from an ammoniacal ammonium aqueous solution containing: (i) vanadium; (ii) at least one metal value selected from the group consisting of cobalt and nickel; (iii) at least one metal value selected from the group consisting of molybdenum and tungsten; comprising the steps of: (a) precipitating vanadium values by cooling the solution to about 0°-30° C.; (b) transferring nickel values from said solution into a first organic extractant comprising a hydroxyoxime; (c) reducing cobalt values in said solution to the divalent state; (d) transferring said divalent cobalt into a second organic extractant selected from the group consisting of oximes, dioximes and diketones; (e) transferring molybdenum and tungsten metal values from said solution into a third organic extractant comprising a tetiary amine, and (f) stripping each of said organic solutions with an aqueous stripping solution to form a metal-containing aqueous solution.