The utilization of rare earth from waste hydrogen-nickel battery cathode materials

A hydrometallurgical flow is designed to recover rare earth, nickel and cobalt from the anode of hydrogen-nickel battery. The recovery procedure includes: anode leaching with sulfuric acid; rare earth separation in the form of rare earth sulfate from nickel and cobalt; rare earth sulphate neutralization; rare earth, Zn²⁺ and Mn²⁺ separation in the lixivium from nickel and cobalt by using P507(2-ethylhexyl dihydrogen phosphate) and kerosene as extractant; stripping rare earth with HCl. The stripping solution is neutralized by rare earth hydroxide resulting the rare earth chloride. The total recovery ratios of rare earth, nickel and cobalt are 98.4 % and 98.5 % respectively.