The TAILCO Process

 

The TAILCO process aims to develop and implement a new technology in order to valorise secondary cobalt resources.

The cobalt is contained in tailings from copper production. In METALLICO the input material for the process is the raffinate generated from the existing solvent-extraction circuit after copper recovery, which contains interesting concentrations of cobalt and zinc in an aqueous sulphuric acid media.

Firstly, through a pressure-driven membrane-based step, cobalt will be concentrated while the sulfuric acid will be recovered to be recycled into the process. In a second step, impurities such as iron will be removed. Lastly, a metallic cobalt compound will be recovered. The remaining zinc will be precipitated and recovered, considering its economic value and the need for a zero-waste approach.