Composite Extractant-Enhanced Polymer Resin, Method of Making the Same, and Its Usage for Extraction of Valuable Metal(s)

Abstract

A composite extractant-enhanced polymer resist comprising an extractant and a polymer resin for direct extraction of valuable metals such as rare earth metals, and more specifically, scandium, Born an acid-leaching slurry and/or acid-leaching solution in which ferric ions are not required to be reduced into ferrous ions. The extractant may be cationic, non-ionic, or anionic. More specifically, the extractant di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid may be used. The polymer resin may be non-functional or have functional groups of sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, iminodiacetic acid, phosphoric acid, or amines. The composite extractant-enhanced polymer resin may be used for extraction of rare earth metals from acid-leaching slurries or solutions.

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