Abstract: A design workflow construction apparatus is provided for supporting design of an object having a plurality of design elements. In constructing the design workflow, the apparatus uses input variables, design variables, and intermediate variables. The design workflow construction apparatus includes means for acquiring object design elements and means for determining an order of designing the object design elements. The apparatus also includes means for determining the important design variables.

Abstract: A method for recovering nickel from sulfuric acid aqueous solution, for recovering nickel in an effectively utilizable form as a raw material of nickel industry material, by separating efficiently impurity elements of iron, aluminum, manganese, etc., from the sulfuric acid aqueous solution containing nickel and cobalt, and the impurity elements, iron, aluminum, manganese, etc.

Abstract: The present invention provides a valuable metal leaching method and a valuable metal collection method, in each of which valuable metals can be leached efficiently, the amount of a reducing agent used can be reduced, and cost reduction can be achieved. In the present invention, a positive electrode material is immersed in an acidic solution together with a metal having a lower reduction potential than a reduction potential of hydrogen, whereby valuable metals are leached out from a positive-electrode active substance.

Abstract: The present invention aims at improving a recovery rate of a positive-pole active substance and preventing a recovery loss of valuable metals when a positive-pole active substance is separated from a lithium ion battery. In the present invention, a material resulting from battery dismantling obtained by dismantling a lithium ion battery is stirred using a surfactant solution, whereby a positive-pole active substance is separated from a positive-electrode substrate. Also, it is preferable that an alkaline solution is added to a positive-electrode material of a material resulting from battery dismantling, thereby dissolving a positive-electrode substrate to which a positive-pole active substance adheres to obtain a slurry containing the positive-pole active substance, and a surfactant solution is added to the slurry to disperse the positive-pole active substance in the slurry, whereby the positive-pole active substance is separated from the alkaline solution.

Abstract: The wastewater treatment method is to obtain demanganized wastewater, through a step wherein an acid or an alkali is added to sulfuric acid acidified wastewater to adjust pH to not less than 4.0 and not more than 6.0, whereby the sulfuric acid acidified wastewater is separated into a dealuminized solution and an aluminum precipitate; a step wherein a slurrying solution is added to the aluminum precipitate to form a slurry, then an alkali is added to adjust pH to not less than 9.0 and not more than 9.5, whereby an pH-adjusted aluminum precipitate slurry is formed; a step wherein an alkali is added to the dealuminized solution to adjust pH to not less than 8.0 and not more than 9.0; and others.

Abstract: A design system (1) is provided with a function of acquiring a design specification of an object to be designed and an evaluation index for evaluating a value of the object to be designed in the design specification; a function of acquiring profile data of the object to be designed; a function (design order determining section (12)) of extracting entity design elements and important design variables from the profile data and prioritizing the entity design elements and the important design variables so as to construct a design workflow; a function (evaluation approach construction section (13)) of constructing an evaluation formula for performance/evaluation of a design result of each of the entity design elements in conformity with the design workflow; a function of finding an appropriate solution by performing automatic optimization while evaluating the design result with use of the evaluation index in accordance with the design workflow with which the evaluation formula is associated; and a function of outp

Abstract: A removal method of manganese in which manganese is removed by precipitating manganese selectively from sulfuric acid waste water containing aluminum, magnesium and manganese with inhibiting the precipitation of magnesium. The removal method of manganese from waste water in which manganese is removed by precipitating manganese selectively from the sulfuric acid waste water containing aluminum, magnesium and manganese with inhibiting the precipitation of magnesium, characterized in that said waste water is subjected to the following steps (1) and (2). (1) First, aluminum in said waste water is removed. (2) Subsequently, neutralizing agent is added into the wastewater after removing aluminum, then pH of the waste water is adjusted at 8.0 to 9.0, and oxygen gas is blown.

Abstract: A method for recovering nickel from an sulfuric acid aqueous solution, for recovering nickel in an effectively utilizable form as a raw material of nickel industry material, by separating efficiently impurity elements of iron, aluminum, manganese and the like, from the sulfuric acid aqueous solution containing nickel and cobalt, and the impurity elements, iron, aluminum, manganese and the like. The method is characterized by comprising the following steps (1) to (5). step (1): to subject the sulfuric acid aqueous solution to oxidation neutralization treatment. step (2): then, to subject the solution to neutralization treatment, and to separate and recover mixed hydroxides containing nickel and cobalt. step (3): to subject the mixed hydroxides to dissolution treatment in a sulfuric acid solution having a concentration of equal to or higher than 50% by mass. step (4): to subject the concentrated solution to solvent extraction treatment, using a phosphate ester-based acidic extraction agent.

Abstract: A process for efficient separation/recovery of copper involving selective extraction of the copper ion with the aid of an organic extractant from an aqueous chloride solution containing copper and one or more concomitant elements, discharged from an extractive metallurgy of non-ferrous metals or the like, and subsequent stripping. The process of solvent extraction of copper which treats an aqueous chloride solution containing copper and one or more concomitant elements to separate/recover copper, comprising the first step for selective extraction of copper from the aqueous chloride solution by mixing the solution with an extractant of organic solvent composed of tributyl phosphate as the major component after adjusting the solution at an oxidation-reduction potential of 0 to 350 mV (based on an Ag/AgCl electrode), and the second step for stripping of copper by mixing the extractant in which copper is stripped with an aqueous solution.

Abstract: A method for concentrating precious metals contained in the leaching residue discharged from a copper hydrometallurgical process by removing pyrite from the residue. A method for concentrating precious metals in the leaching residue containing pyrite, elementary sulfur, precious metals and gangue, discharged from a copper hydrometallurgical process which comprises steps of leaching in an acidic, aqueous solution, reducing the copper-containing leaching liquor and electrolysis for copper recovery to treat copper sulfide ores, comprising (1) pyrolysis step in which the leaching residue is thermally treated at 550.degree. C. or higher in a non-oxidative atmosphere, to produce the calcined ore containing pyrrhotite, precious metals and gangue, and (2) a re-leaching step in which the calcined ore is re-leached in an acidic, aqueous solution, to be separated into the re-leaching residue and iron-leached liquor, the former containing elementary sulfur, precious metals and gangue.

Abstract: The present invention provides a nickel refining method which uses nickel sulfide produced from nickel oxide ore using a hydrometallurgical process, as the raw material, and in which chlorine leaching is performed using a chloride solution, wherein a cementation reaction is caused between the nickel sulfide and copper ions, using copper ions, preferably included in the leaching solution itself, and a portion of the nickel in the nickel sulfide is leached into the solution, and the remaining nickel and copper are left as a residue, and copper and nickel are chlorine leached from this residue, and wherein the cementation reaction is performed with an oxidation-reduction potential as measured by a silver-silver chloride electrode of below ?20 mV, preferably below ?100 mV.

Abstract: A process for efficient separation/recovery of copper involving selective extraction of the copper ion with the aid of an organic extractant from an aqueous chloride solution containing copper and one or more concomitant elements, discharged from an extractive metallurgy of non-ferrous metals or the like, and subsequent stripping. The process of solvent extraction of copper which treats an aqueous chloride solution containing copper and one or more concomitant elements to separate/recover copper, comprising the first step for selective extraction of copper from the aqueous chloride solution by mixing the solution with an extractant of organic solvent composed of tributyl phosphate as the major component after adjusting the solution at an oxidation-reduction potential of 0 to 350 mV (based on an Ag/AgCl electrode), and the second step for stripping of copper by mixing the extractant in which copper is stripped with an aqueous solution.

Abstract: A method for concentrating precious metals contained in the leaching residue discharged from a copper hydrometallurgical process by removing pyrite from the residue. A method for concentrating precious metals in the leaching residue containing pyrite, elementary sulfur, precious metals and gangue, discharged from a copper hydrometallurgical process which comprises steps of leaching in an acidic, aqueous solution, reducing the copper-containing leaching liquor and electrolysis for copper recovery to treat copper sulfide ores, comprising (1) pyrolysis step in which the leaching residue is thermally treated at 550° C. or higher in a non-oxidative atmosphere, to produce the calcined ore containing pyrrhotite, precious metals and gangue, and (2) a re-leaching step in which the calcined ore is re-leached in an acidic, aqueous solution, to be separated into the re-leaching residue and iron-leached liquor, the former containing elementary sulfur, precious metals and gangue.

Abstract: A process for refining a raw copper material containing a copper sulfide mineral, e.g., chalcopyrite, by the hydrometallurgical process which can leach copper out of the raw material at a high extraction while suppressing oxidation of sulfur, recover it in the monovalent state by electrolysis and, at the same time, recover a concomitant valuable metal while minimizing production of wastes, e.g., leaching residue, as far as possible.

Abstract: The present invention provides a nickel refining method which uses nickel sulfide produced from nickel oxide ore using a hydrometallurgical process, as the raw material, and in which chlorine leaching is performed using a chloride solution, wherein a cementation reaction is caused between the nickel sulfide and copper ions, using copper ions, preferably included in the leaching solution itself, and a portion of the nickel in the nickel sulfide is leached into the solution, and the remaining nickel and copper are left as a residue, and copper and nickel are chlorine leached from this residue, and wherein the cementation reaction is performed with an oxidation-reduction potential as measured by a silver-silver chloride electrode of below −20 mV, preferably below −100 mV.