Leaching Co(II), Mo(VI), and Al(III) Ions from Spent Catalyst Co-Mo/γ–Al2O3 using Organic Acid
Abstract
The disposal of spent catalysts must be managed to prevent environmental pollution caused by the heavy metal content in the material. This work investigates the leaching performance of spent catalyst Co-Mo/γ–Al2O3 using an organic acid as the solvent. The leaching process was designed by varying several operating conditions. The particle size was varied at -40+80, -80+120, and -200 mesh, while pulp density was varied at 5, 10, and 20% (wt/v). This experiment used four types of acid, i.e., citric acid, lactic acid, formic acid, and acetic acid. This operation lasted 22 days. The sampling process was conducted periodically during the leaching process. Among the four investigated organic acids, lactic acid provided the highest metal ion recovery. Under that operating condition, the recovery percentage of Co(II), Mo(VI), and Al(III) ions was 50.81, 67.68, and 58.00%, respectively. Furthermore, this work also observed the applicable mechanism during the leaching process through a kinetic study. That study showed that the internal diffusion and chemical reaction steps simultaneously controlled the leaching rate.
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