The National Engineering Laboratory for Hydrometallurgical Cleaner Production Technology (NELHCPT) was founded on November 2008, with the admission of China National Development and Reform Commission and the administration under the Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. NELHCPT was oriented to satisfy the demands in metallurgical industries for energy saving, emission reduction, and high-efficiency, clean comprehensive utilization of metallic mineral resources. The amphoteric metal bearing minerals, including chromium, aluminum, titanium, and vanadium bearing minerals are the key research objects of NELHCPT. NELHCPT focuses on the fundamental and applied research on high-efficiency reaction system with sub-molten salt media, techniques and equipments for multi-component separation, comprehensive utilization and pollution control of solid wastes in metallurgical industries. As a significant technical and engineering platform of cleaner production technologies, NELHCPT aims to achieve the large-scale engineering technology transfer, promote and facilitate the development and application of cleaner production technologies in China’s nonferrous metallurgical industries.

NELHCPT also has an experienced and advanced R&D team with perfect age, knowledge structure, as well as breakthrough and innovation abilities. Its R&D personnel includes a CAE member, 4 owners of the National Natural Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholar, 5 owners of the Ten Thousand Talent Program,2 owners of the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars，30 professors, and mare than 100 students.

NELHCPT is based on the realization of pollution reduction and energy saving and emission reduction from the source, significantly improves the industry’s technological competitiveness and maintains position in technology; enhances the overall level of my country’s non-ferrous metal industry/achieves sustainable development and realizes the adjustment of the industrial structure in the non-ferrous metal industry. Provide technical support for the transformation from extensive to circular economy model.

Research directions

The amphoteric metal bearing minerals, including chromium, aluminum, titanium, and vanadium bearing minerals are the key research objects of NELHCPT. NELHCPT put heavy effort into this field in order to make breakthrough in fundamental and applied research on high-efficiency reaction, cleaner separation of multi-components, preparation of chemical and metallurgical products with high additional value, comprehensive utilization and pollution control of solid wastes in metallurgical industries, the R&D platform of scale-up test, optimization, integration, and industrial eco-chain construction for metallurgical process.

1. Research of the efficient comprehensive utilization of titanium, vanadium, chromium, nickel, cobalt, zirconium, iron, etc. and the preparation of high-purity, functional materials to meet the urgent needs of making clean and high-efficiency use of amphoteric metallic resources with national major strategic importance. Key technological breakthroughs have been achieved in the efficient separation of vanadium, titanium, and iron, preparation of high-quality iron products, the efficient conversion and separation of vanadium and titanium components, and the preparation of high-value products of vanadium and titanium..

2. The innovation green separation technology is applied to the production of high-value products such as general health and resources, as well as recyclable catalyst materials.

3. Research for application and engineering transformation of the overall process of clean technology, green process and circular economy in response to the major national demand in utilization of strategic mineral resources environmentally friendly.By using the by-product hydrocarbon resources of chemical engineering, metallurgical and energy processes, the key technologies such as low-temperature rapid pyrolysis and accurate separation of thermal sensitive substances were established.

4. Committed to the whole process control and resource utilization of industrial toxic and harmful pollutants. In the "whole process optimization of coking wastewater efficient treatment and resource technology and application", phenol oil extraction synergistic detoxification technology and reagent, efficient decyaniding technology and reagent, heterogeneous catalytic ozonation technology and catalyst were developed.

5. Value-added amphoteric metal metallurgy group’s research work focuses on these demands. Applying the phase control within the reaction and separation units as the key measure, using the typical resources including V, Ti, Cr, Al, Li, etc. as the main research subjects, we carry out technical research involving multi-phase separation, reaction medium recycling, resource utilization of the wastes, and high-valued product preparation. Efficient and cleaner utilization of vanadium titanomagnetite resources and preparation of high-quality titanium product; (2) Comprehensive utilization of typical solid wastes (spent lithium-ion batteries, sodium sulfate waste, V-Cr-Al-bearing solid waste, etc.); (3) Large-scale ecological utilization of fly ash.

6. The researches emphasis on deep separation, grading utilization and high value products of non-ferrous metal during recycling process have been developed to satisfy the requirement of “green, low-carbon and high-quality recycling development” in China's metallurgical industry. In order to solve the difficulties in deep separation of micro/trace impurity elements and safe solidification of hazardous elements, the impurity separation model coupled with the structure factor of oxygen clusters at the interface has been taken the lead in establishing with the core of "media regulation of cluster evolution and phase reconstruction". Further, an innovative purification proposal of waste silicon powder has been brought out with "oxidation film dissociation reconstruction and inclusion synchronous separation".

7. Green and efficient utilization of vanadium and chromium is a world-class challenge, and in order to solve this problem, the Sub Molten Salt green (SMS) hydrometallurgy research group has established a new reaction theory with respect to the SMS unconventional reaction media, focusing on the quantitively controlling of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Further, a SMS reaction and separation platform technology has been established due to continuous innovation. A new process featuring SMS atomic economy reaction, clean V and Cr separation, green V product fabrication, and value-added complete utilization of residue has been developed.

8. Research on mining project is the team’s line, the team is specialized in analytical testing, small-scale testing, industrial testing, field testing, and able to provide process packages, assisting engineering design and equipment procurement, stationing on-site research, and solving site practical problems. The team is specialized in providing technology service in processing refractory copper/gold mine and tailings, able to improve the copper/gold recovery rate, reduce production costs and thereby expand economic resources.

9. Based on the technology platform of acid-base cogeneration and recycling, the research group of acid-base cogeneration is committed to the basic and applied research of metal chloride decomposition and waste recycling (including waste acid, waste water, waste oil, waste acid sludge and phosphogypsum).

The 50kt/a demonstration project for vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite by sodium oxide smelting method

Demonstration projects with 200,000 tons/year desulfurizing agent prepared by calcium carbide slag