Cobalt Overview for Operators TFM

This document describes the purification and precipitation circuit for cobalt at TFM, from LG raffinate through to cobalt hydroxide production. It explains that purification aims to remove impurities that would interfere with subsequent extraction or reduce product purity, using chemical precipitation aided by pH control, flocculants, and seeding. The process is divided into three main stages: precipitation of iron, aluminum, and manganese using limestone; precipitation of copper using milk of lime; and primary and secondary precipitation of cobalt using milk of magnesia. For each stage, the document outlines operating conditions (notably pH and temperature), tank and decanter configurations, and the principal chemical reactions involved. It also describes the handling of underflow and overflow streams, including filtration, recycling to upstream circuits, neutralization, and disposal to tailings. Finally, it covers downstream treatment of cobalt hydroxide, including filtration, drying, and bagging of the intermediate product (CHIP) for sale, as well as the integration of clarifier and CCD circuits for solution management.