Vanadium Recovery from Stone Coal with Sunresin’s SMB Solution

China is a Vanadium-rich country with a large amount of Vanadium reserves from stone coal. Therefore the recovery of vanadium from stone coal is quite a promising application.

Currently there are two main methods for the extraction of vanadium from stone coal, the solvent extraction method and the ion exchange method. Ion exchange is a new vanadium extraction process that has emerged in recent years. Compared with solvent extraction, the ion exchange process has a higher degree of automation and adsorption efficiency, and is more environment friendly. During the adsorption process, there will be no secondary pollution due to the extractant, and no staff is needed leading to reduced labor costs and manual errors. The adsorption rate of vanadium by the ion exchange method can reach over 99%, while it is generally below 95% using the traditional solvent extraction method.

Sunresin has developed a variety of resins, thanks to years of technical research, for vanadium recovery, with various kinds of vanadium-containing liquids under different beneficiation and leaching processes.

Now I am at the site of a vanadium extraction project from stone coal with an annual output of 1,500 tons. Its extraction section adopts Sunresin’s proprietary SMB (Simulated Moving Bed) system. This system integrates adsorption, water washing, desorption, regeneration and other processes. Compared with the traditional fixed bed system, Sunresin’s SMB system significantly saves resin consumption and requires less floor space. It also leads to a higher level of intelligence, lower consumption of energy and higher concentration of the desorption solution, reducing the CAPEX and OPEX by about 50%. Through the implementation of the automatic system, the complex adsorption-regeneration process can be completed within the system with reduced manual intervention and therefore less risks and errors, thus making the production more stable.

Sunresin, driving the innovation!