AN INNOVATIVE METHOD FOR PROCESSING OF USED VANADIUM CATALYSTS FOR OBTAINING VANADIUM PENTOXIDE

Abstract

All in all, there are about 60 million vanadium deposits in the world, 90% of which are localized in the territory of the five countries: Russia, South Africa, Venezuela, the United States and China. Sulfuric acid production is the main consumer of vanadium in the form of vanadium catalysts (V2 O5 pentoxide). The demand for vanadium and its compounds keeps growing every year, as a result of the increased interest in processing of secondary vanadium-containing raw materials. One of the main sources of vanadium are the spent vanadium catalysts – SVC. About 100 thousand tons of spent vanadium catalysts are formed throughout the country, which are considered to be potentially hazardous for the environment and local population. Disposal of spent vanadium catalysts used for oxidizing of sulfur dioxide represents a serious environmental threat due to the lack of effective technologies for their processing. This work is devoted to a method for processing of spent vanadium catalysts to obtain a stuff that will be suitable for modifying of steels. The pyrometallurgical method of processing of technogenic raw materials by oxidative fi ring has been investigated and the parameters of firing – optimal fi ring time and temperature for extracting vanadium from the material – have been identified.