Partition of metallic cations between aqueous solutions and mixed crystals of hydrated cobalt and nickel nitrates: Modelling of the influence of temperature and composition

A systematic study of the solid-liquid equilibria of the H2O-Co(NO3)2-Ni(NO3)2 ternary system enabled to define the liquidus and the solidus curves of the isotherms at 287.15 K and 313.5 K. Two widespread solid solutions, Co(1-σ)Niσ(NO3)2.6H2O and Ni(1-ω)Coω(NO3)2.6H2O, were observed. They were formed by the substitution of Co2+ cations by Ni2+ cations in the monoclinic structure of the cobalt nitrate hexahydrate and the substitution of Ni2+ by Co2+ in the triclinic structure of the nickel nitrate hexahydrate. Two series of tie-lines for each crystallographic structure of these hexahydrates were obtained. The analyses of these tie-lines and those of the previous studies at 258.15 K and 303.15 K enabled a thermodynamic modelling of the solid-liquid equilibria within a temperature range from 258.15 K to 313.15 K. The simple equation system obtained allows to calculate the accurate composition of the mother solution, at a defined temperature, to reach the appropriate cationic ratio in the crystallised solid solution.