Separation of vanadium and molybdenum from a sulfuric acid leachate

High strength, temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance are vital for energy storage technologies, which has led to increased demand for vanadium and molybdenum in the high-tech sector, particularly in aerospace, electronics, and defense. The presence of heteropolyacid ions such as MoV 9 O 28 5− and HMoV 9 O 28 4− has a detrimental effect on the separation of vanadium and molybdenum, with severe adverse consequences for the purity of the products derived from these elements. This study proposes a novel method for the gradient separation of vanadium and molybdenum from acidic solutions. First, phase reconstruction of MoV 9 O 28 5− and HMoV 9 O 28 4− is achieved through the synergistic effects of H 2 O 2 , H + , and NH 4 + . Vanadium and molybdenum are precipitated as a mixed precipitate of (NH 4 ) 2 V 6 O 16 and H₂MoO₅. Second, the reduction reaction of H 2 MoO 5 in acetic acid solution is employed for the selective dissolution of molybdenum, and the molybdenum content in the ammonium polyvanadate is reduced to below 0.006%. Finally, the molybdenum in acetic acid is converted to a MoO 3 product with a purity of 99.9% via evaporative crystallization and roasting. This environmentally friendly process efficiently separates vanadium and molybdenum in acidic media using a phase reconstruction method. The proposed method is also applicable to systems containing nickel, aluminum, and other impurities.