The leach liquor obtained after dissolution of the bulk sulphide precipitate of manganese nodule contains 204.59 mol/m3 Cu, 40.83 mol/m3 Zn, 44.46 mol/m3 Co, 255.58 mol/m3 Ni and 75.72 mol/m3 (NH4)2SO4. The separation of metal values from this leach liquor was carried out with hollow fiber supported liquid membrane using LIX- 84I, D2EHPA and Cyanex 272 as the extractants. The process parameters such as pH, extractant concentration, flow rate and acid concentration in strip solution were optimized for separation of Cu, Zn, Co and Ni.
The poly-metallic manganese nodule is the future resource for nonferrous metals such as Cu, Zn, Co, Ni and Mn. For extraction of metal values from these nodules, studies are being carried out all over the world using different techniques. In the hydrometallurgical process after aeration/oxygenation of the SO2 - ammoniacal ammonium sulphate leach liquor of manganese nodule the leach liquor contained copper, nickel, cobalt and zinc in solution. After stripping of ammonia, the metal values were precipitated using sodium sulphide. The leach liquor obtained after dissolution of this bulk sulphide contains 204.59 mol/m3 Cu, 40.83 mol/m3 Zn, 33.94 mol/m3 Co, 255.58 mol/m3 Ni and 75.72 mol/m3 (NH4)2SO4 and the metals were separated using hollow-fiber membrane The extractant, LIX 84-I is used by many workers (Parhi and Sarangi, 2008; Breembroek-Straalen-Witkamp and Rosmalen, 1998; Reddy- Park and Mohapatra, 2007; Sarangi-Parhi-Padhan-Palai-Nathsarma and Park 2007) for copper extraction due to its high selectivity. Di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid is a widely used metal extractant for separation of different metal ions (Sarangi and Das, 2004; Juang and Huang 2002; Vahidi-Rashchi and Moradkhani 2009; Owusu 1998) and bis(2,4,4- trimethyl pentyl) phosphinic acid (Cyanex 272) has high selectivity for cobalt (Owusu and Kao 2005; Swain-Jeong-Lee and Lee 2007; Gega- Walkowiak and Gajda, 2001).
