Recovery of molybdenum and vanadium from acidic sulfate leach solution of blue sludge by ion exchange

The recovery of vanadium (V) and molybdenum (Mo) from an acidic sulfate solution of blue sludge using chelating ion exchange resin was studied in both batch and column tests. Mo (Mo7O21(OH)(3)(3-)) and V (VO2+) ions were adsorbed simultaneously and separated from the coexisting metals, such as aluminum, and nickel, at a pH of around 2.0 with Amberlite IRC748 resin. Due to its higher charges the Mo7O21(OH)(3)(3-) can be preferentially adsorbed by the IRC748 resin rather than VO2+, and the loaded V and Mo were further separated by chromatographic elution. The column experiments verified that complete recovery of Mo and V from acidic sulfate solution of blue sludge was possible. Application of this process in industry is expected to have an important impact on the recovery of V and Mo from secondary sources containing Mo and V. (c) 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 156-160, 2016