Investigation of the effect of mechanical activation on nickel recovery from electrolytic nickel plating waste sludge

Today, nickel has become an increasingly used element due to its technological properties such as its high melting temperature, high corrosion resistance, use as a reduction catalyst and easy alloying. Nickel is commonly obtained from two main types of ores: lateritic nickel ores and sulfide nickel sources. As with all other metals, recovery from scrap or waste has been an important alternative source for nickel. The areas where nickel is consumed excessively are applications made for corrosion protection. The most important of these applications is nickel plating. There is a significant amount of nickel in electrolytic nickel-plated bath waste sludge. In this thesis study, the effect of mechanical activation on the recovery of nickel from the waste sludge obtained from the Durden Plastik A.Ş. was investigated. In the first stage of the experimental study, nickel waste sludge was examined in terms of chemical composition and phase structure, and it was determined that the waste sludge contained 28% Ni. In mechanical activation studies, the optimum mechanical activation time was determined as 90 minutes. The leaching parameters of the mechanically nonactivated and 90 minutes mechanically activated nickel waste sludge with sulfuric acid were compared. In the best conditions, 96% dissolution efficiency was achieved in the 90 min mechanically activated nickel waste sludge, while this rate could reach up to 89% in the mechanically nonactivated nickel waste sludge.