Nickel sorption from solutions with high salt concentration

The object of the study is salt concentrates formed as a result of treatment of concentrated acidic and alkaline wastewater of galvanic processes, realized on Ural Optical & Mechanical Plant (Russia). Salt concentrates are to be disposed of as low-hazard substances, but periodically the presence of nickel ions in them was detected. Concentration of nickel ions reaches up to 0.3 g/L, the total salt content reaches 200 g/L. The possibility of sorption purification of salt concentrates from nickel on the aminocarboxylicionite Lewatit TP 207 was studied, and the capacitance characteristics of the ionite were determined. It is shown that a high salt background does not reduce the ion exchange capacity of ionite for nickel. The dynamic capacity of Lewatit TP 207 before the breakthrough was 0.155 g/g. Nickel desorption is carried out with 20% sulfuric acid. The maximum concentration of nickel in the eluates was 25.484 g/L. Such eluates can be returned to the nickel-plating bath. The technology of periodic ion-exchange purification of salt concentrates is proposed. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd