Treatment of degraded oxime metal extractants in process organic solutions
AssigneeOutotec (Finland) Oy
InventorsJames Kabugo, Erkki Paatero
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method for regenerating the extractive potential of an organic hydroxyoxime-based extraction solution used in the recovery of metals by liquid-liquid extraction. The method is two-stage, in which a solid hydroxylamine is used in the reaction stage, and the removal of the undesirable compounds generated in the reaction occurs in the second stage by adsorption purification. The method of the invention is suitable for treatment of degraded oxime metal extractants in various process organic solutions both in aldehyde and ketoxime extractant solutions. The method can also be used to treat a mixture of degraded oxime extractants.
Claims21
A method of regenerating ketone and aldehyde oxime degradation products of a degraded hydroxyoxime based organic extraction solution used in the recovery of metals by liquid-liquid extraction, comprising the step of (a) contacting the degraded hydroxyoxime based organic extraction solution comprising the ketone and aldehyde oxime degradation products with a wetted hydroxylamine or salt thereof in solid form in the presence of a solid alkaline salt to obtain a solid-organic mixture and thereafter removing any solid particles from the degraded hydroxyoxime based organic extraction solution, and the step of (b) purifying the organic extraction solution by adsorption purification by bringing said degraded hydroxyoxime based organic extraction solution into contact with an adsorption material in solid form,
- wherein the method is performed without the use of a phase transfer catalyst.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.