THIS PROPOSAL IS FOR RESEARCH TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A PROCESS TO RECOVER ALL OF THE METAL AND CHEMICAL VALUESFROM SPENT PETROLEUM HYDROTREATING CATALYST IN SUCH A MANNERAS TO NEARLY ELIMINATE ANY HAZARDOUS WASTE CONSIDERATIONS.

THIS PROPOSAL IS FOR RESEARCH TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A PROCESS TO RECOVER ALL OF THE METAL AND CHEMICAL VALUESFROM SPENT PETROLEUM HYDROTREATING CATALYST IN SUCH A MANNERAS TO NEARLY ELIMINATE ANY HAZARDOUS WASTE CONSIDERATIONS. THE CRITICAL STEPS IN THE PROCESS ARE (1) ACID LEACH OF THE CATALYST AND (2) SEPARATION AND RECOVERY OF COBALT, NICKEL AND OTHER METALS FROM THE RESULTING LEACH SOLUTION. SPENT PETROLEUM HYDROTREATING CATALYSTS CONTAIN COBALT, NICKEL, MOLYBDENUM, VANADIUM, TUNGSTEN AND ALUMINUM. ALL OF THESE MATERIALS ARE OF STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE TO THE UNITES STATES. NO ADEQUATE TECHNOLOGY EXISTS CURRENTLY FOR THE EFFECTIVE RECOVERY OF THESE ELEMENTS. PRESENT PROCESSES RECOVER ONLY MOLYBDENUM, THE ONE ELEMENT FOR WHICH THE UNITED STATES IS AN EXPORTER, LEAVING THE BULK OF THE CATALYST TO BE LANDFILLED. ABOUT THIRTY MILLION POUNDS OF SPENT CATALYST CONTAINING $25,000,000 IN RECOVERABLE CHEMICALS WAS DISPOSEDOF IN 1980 IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTEDTO DOUBLE BY 1985 AND TO TRIPLE BY 1990. THE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL OF THE SPENT CATALYST IS OF CONCERN DUE TO THE AMOUNT ANTICIPATED, ITS PYROPHORIC NATURE, AND THE PRESENCE OF LEACHABLE HEAVY METALS INCLUDING ARSENIC.