Method for solubilizing metal values
AssigneeCabot Corporation
InventorsRobert A. Hard, Patrick M. Brown, James E. Reynolds
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Abstract
The processes of the present invention include mineral acid leaching of a metal containing material, such as an ore residue, containing fluoridated metal values in the presence of a complexing agent which will complex fluoride ions. The processes of the present invention provide for the separation of valuable metal, fluoride and radionuclide values from a feed material of high mineral content wherein the metals and radionuclides are present as substantially water insoluble fluorides or are trapped within a metal fluorine matrix which is substantially insoluble in typical chemical reactant systems.
Claims13
A process for solubilizing metal values from a metal containing material comprising fluoridated metal values the process comprising:
- contacting the metal containing material with a mineral acid and a complexing agent to digest the ore residue under temperature and pressure conditions suitable to form a (complexing agent)/(fluoride) complex and solubilize at least a portion of at least one metal value present in the ore residue;
- and
- separating the resulting solids and solubilization solution.
An metal containing product, produced from a starting material including
- tantalum and niobium comprising:
- at least a 2 times higher concentration of tantalum, by weight, than the starting material;
- at least a 2 times higher concentration of niobium, by weight, than the starting material;
- and
- no greater than 33%, by weight, of the radioactive values present in the starting material.
A process for reducing the concentration of radioactive metal values present in metal containing material comprising the radioactive metal values the process comprising:
- contacting the metal containing material with a mineral acid and a complexing agent to digest the ore residue under temperature and pressure conditions suitable to form a (complexing agent)/(fluoride) complex and solubilize at least a portion of at least one metal value present in the ore residue;
- and
- separating the resulting solids and solubilization solution.
A process for recovering tin metal values from a tin containing starting material the process comprising:
- contacting the tin containing starting material with a mineral acid and a complexing agent under temperature and pressure conditions suitable to complex insoluble fluorides and to solubilize at least a portion of the metal values other than tin present in the ore residue;
- and
- separating the resulting tin containing material and solubilization solution.
A metal containing product, produced from a starting material including tin metal values comprising:
- at least a 2 times higher concentration of tin, by weight, than the starting material;
- and
- no greater than 33%, by weight, of the radioactive values present in the starting material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.