Purification of scandium concentrate
AssigneeRio Tinto Iron and Titanium Canada Inc.
InventorsMichel Paquin, Simon Roy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In order to reduce the contamination of scandium oxide products, the present disclosure provides a process for removing at least one metal contaminant from a scandium (Sc) concentrate. The process is based on contacting the Sc concentrate with an ion exchange resin to obtain a purified Sc eluate or raffinate. The first ion exchange resin and the second ion exchange resin are strong acid cationic resins with sulfonic acid functional groups in a potassium or sodium form. The purified Sc eluate or raffinate can be used to make scandium oxide products having a reduced amount of metal ion contaminants.
Claims19
A process for removing at least one metal contaminant from a scandium (Sc) concentrate, the process comprising:
- a) contacting the Sc concentrate with an acidic solution so as to produce an impure Sc solution;
- and
- b) contacting the impure Sc solution with a first ion exchange resin capturing the at least one metal contaminant so as to produce a first ion exchange resin complex and a purified Sc raffinate solution, wherein the first ion exchange resin has more affinity for the at least one metal contaminant than for Sc;
- and optionally eluting Sc from the first ion exchange resin complex with a first eluting solution to obtain a first Sc eluate and combining the first Sc eluate with the first Sc raffinate;
- or
- contacting the impure Sc solution with a second ion exchange resin capturing the at least one metal contaminant and Sc so as to produce a second ion exchange resin complex;
- and eluting Sc from the second ion exchange resin complex with a second eluting solution so as to produce a purified Sc eluate;
- wherein a concentration of the at least one metal contaminant in the purified Sc eluate or the purified Sc raffinate solution is lower than a concentration of the at least one metal contaminant in the impure Sc solution;
- and
- wherein the first ion exchange resin and the second ion exchange resin are strong acid cationic resins with sulfonic acid functional groups in a potassium or sodium form.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.