Recovery of scandium from the residue of the magnetic fraction of a vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite ore

• Grant number: 24/16387-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: January 15, 2025
• End date: January 14, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Jorge Alberto Soares Tenório
• Grantee: José Helber Vinco
• Supervisor: Giuseppe Granata
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Leuven, Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/02213-0 - Obtaining high purity critical metals from vanadiniferous ores: purification of industrial solutions and residue recovery, BP.DR

Abstract

Scandium (Sc) is a critical and valuable rare earth element (REE) present in small amounts in the magnetic residue of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite ore. However, the potential of this residue as a source of Sc has not yet been explored. This research aims to develop a route for the extraction and purification of Sc from the magnetic residue of Brazilian vanadium production. Given Sc's technological and economic significance, and in line with circular economy principles that promote waste reuse, exploring this route is justified. Various acid leaching conditions will be studied to selectively extract Sc, followed by purification using impregnated ion-exchange resin techniques. The adsorption process will initially be studied through batch experiments, focusing on the kinetics, thermodynamics, and mechanisms involved. Finally, the purification will be tested in a continuous system to obtain a pure and concentrated Sc solution, which can be precipitated and calcined to produce Sc2O3.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

VINCO, JOSE HELBER; ESPINOSA, DENISE CROCCE ROMANO; TENORIO, JORGE ALBERTO SOARES. Purification of vanadium-bearing solutions: A comprehensive review. MINERALS ENGINEERING, v. 227, p. 17-pg., 2025-07-15. (24/16387-6, 19/11866-5, 22/02213-0)