Satbayev University is improving the processing of man-made waste from vanadium production

Young scientists of Satbayev University, PhD Yerik Merkibayev and third-year student Tamerlan Baltabai, together with “Balaussa” company, under the guidance of associate professor Sultan Yulussov, are investigating man-made waste from vanadium production. The project is aimed at developing the rational technology for processing the man-made waste from vanadium production with the extraction of vanadium, molybdenum, nickel and the production of technical sodium hydro aluminate. Techno-genic waste from the vanadium production of the Balaussauskandyk deposit is used as an object of research.

Vanadium is a transition metal widely used in various industries, including steel production, energy storage and catalysis. Its unique properties, such as high strength, excellent corrosion resistance and the ability to form stable compounds, make it indispensable in these areas. Recently, considerable attention has been paid to extraction and processing of vanadium from various sources, as demand for this element continues to grow. Efficient processing of vanadium ores and industrial waste is becoming a key factor in ensuring a sustainable supply chain for this important resource.

The main problem in the leaching of man-made waste is that vanadium in this raw material is present in the form of "vanadium bronzes" formed by fusing V2O5 with sodium oxide during the firing of vanadium concentrate. Nickel is found in NiAl2O4 spin elides, which makes it difficult to extract them. For the effective extraction of these metals, a different approach to the processing of raw materials is required. It is this problem that the scientific team is working on.

In the course of the research, experiments were carried out on the leaching of non-ferrous and rare metals from man-made waste from vanadium production using various acids at a temperature of 60 °C. The maximum recovery rate of vanadium was achieved at 90%, nickel at 78% and molybdenum at 96%.

The research is carried out within the framework of IRN grant project AP19676107 "Development of technology for complex processing of techno-genic waste from vanadium production", as well as program-targeted financing under the leadership of Kanai Rysbekov and Tatyana Chepushtanova (project # BR21881939 "Development of resource-saving energy-generating technologies for the mining and metallurgical complex and the creation of an innovative engineering center") at Department of Metallurgical processes, thermal engineering and technology of special materials."