CARBONYL PROCESS FOR RECOVERY OF PURIFIED COBALT

A process for producing purified cobalt from a mixture comprising metallic species of cobalt and metallic species of at least one of the group consisting of nickel and iron, comprising producin g a metal carbonyl mixture of cobalt carbonyl and at least one of nickel carbonyl and iron carbonyl from the metallic species mixture; separating the nickel carbonyl and/or iron carbonyl from the cobalt carbonyl; treating the cobalt carbonyl with an effective amount o f a complexing gaseous mixture of nitric oxide/carbon monoxide to produce cobalt nitrosyl tricarbonyl; and decomposing the purifie d cobalt nitrosyl carbonyl to provide purified cobalt and regenerated complexing gaseous mixture for recycle. The process provides cobalt of improved quality in an optionally, continuous and closed-loop manner. Preferred processes include either aqueous and/or gaseous process steps.