The Effect of Reaction Conditions and Presence of Magnesium on the Crystallization of Nickel Sulfate

Recycling of valuable metals such as nickel is instrumental to meet the need from the dramatic increase in electric vehicle battery production and to improve its sustainability. Nickel required in the battery manufacture can be recovered from the hydrometallurgical industrial process streams by crystallization of nickel sulfate. Here, crystallization of nickel sulfate is studied from an industrial point of view, investigating the effects of temperature, seeding and presence of magnesium on the formation of various solid phases for the evaluation of their potential influence on the process design. Results showed that the precipitating phase was dictated both by seed amount and reaction temperature. Transformation of metastable phases both in suspension and in a dry state was observed over time. Presence of magnesium was shown to promote formation of NiSO4·7H2O in solution and increased its stability in a dry form. In their dry state, nickel sulfate that was formed in the absence of magnesium transformed towards α-NiSO4·6H2O, whereas those precipitated in the presence of high magnesium concentrations transformed towards β-NiSO4·6H2O, indicating that magnesium inhibited the phase transformation towards α-NiSO4·6H2O. Knowledge about various solid phases of varying crystal morphology and stability can be used as input to decisions for the best suited solid product type and how this relates to the initial conditions of the sidestreams.