A process has been developed to recover at least 75% of the 2-naphthol contained in cobalt precipitate produced during the removal of cobalt from electrolytic zinc plant solution._x000D_
The recovered material is in a form suitable for recycling to precipitate further cobalt from solution. The process consists essentially of two steps. The first involves leaching of cobalt precipitate in 400 g/l sodium hydroxide solution at 95C in the presence of an additive. The second step involves treating the filtrate from the leaching stage with sodium sulphide to precipitate cobalt as the sulphide thereby re- generating the sodium hydroxide for recycling._x000D_
The process is only marginally profitable at present 2-naphthol prices, giving a net return of 20% on a capital investment of $1 200 000. A reaction mechanism is proposed which accounts for the 25% loss of the 2-naphthol in the recovery process.