Treatment of ores or metallurgical by-products containing arsenic and antimony
AssigneeMetallurgie Hoboken-Overpelt
InventorsJozef Hiemeleers, Achille De Schepper, Antoine Van Peteghem
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Abstract
In a process for treating a metal bearing material containing arsenic and antimony by leaching in an acid solution with an oxygen-containing gas under pressure at a temperature of between 20.degree. and 200.degree. C, the improvement which consists in adding at least one element chosen from the group consisting of arsenic and phosphorus in such an amount to the leach mixture that the molar ratio (As + 4P) : Sb therein shall be at least equal to 8, thus dissolving at least the major part of the arsenic and antimony contained in the starting material.
Claims38
In a process for treating a metal bearing material containing arsenic and antimony by leaching in an acid solution with an oxygen containing gas under pressure at a temperature of between 20.degree. and 200.degree. C, the improvement which consists in adding at least one element chosen from the group consisting of arsenic and phosphorus in such an amount to the leach mixture that the molar ratio (As + 4P):Sb therein shall be at least equal to 8, thus dissolving at least the major part of the arsenic and antimony contained in the starting material.
A process for separating simultaneously arsenic and antimony from an aqueous acid solution having a molar ratio (As + 4P) :
- Sb at least equal to 8, which process comprises bringing the aqueous solution into contact with an organic phase comprising
- (a) 2-30% by volume of an alkylated 8-hydroxyquinoline,
- (b) 5-80% by volume of a substance selected from the group of substances consisting of
- (a') phosphonic acid esters having the general formula ##STR13## phosphonous acid esters having the general formula R.sub.1 -- P(OR.sub.2)--OR.sub.3, phosphinic acid esters having the general formula ##STR14## and phosphinous acid esters having the general formula R.sub.1 -- P(R.sub.2)--OR.sub.3, wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 represent the same or different, unsubstituted or substituted hydrocarbon groups, and
- (b') organophosphoric compounds having the general formula (RO).sub.3 P = 0, wherein R represents an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, aryl or aralkyl group, and
- (c) an inert organic diluent,
- while maintaining the acid content of the aqueous phase at at least 1N, whereby arsenic and antimony are extracted from the aqueous phase to the organic phase, and separating the resultant arsenic and antimony-charged organic phase from the aqueous phase.
A process for separating selectively antimony from an aqueous acid solution containing antimony and arsenic and having a molar ratio (As + 4 P) :
- Sb at least equal to 8, which process comprises bringing the aqueous solution into contact with an organic phase comprising
- (a) 2-30% by volume of an alkylated 8-hydroxyquinoline, and
- (b) an inert organic diluent,
- while maintaining the acid content of the aqueous phase at at least 1N, whereby antimony is selectively extracted from the aqueous phase to the organic phase, and separating the resultant antimony-charged organic phase from the resultant antimony-barren aqueous phase.
A process for separating selectively antimony from an aqueous acid solution containing antimony and arsenic and having a molar ratio (As + 4P) :
- Sb at least equal to 8, which process comprises bringing the aqueous solution into contact with an organic phase comprising
- (a) 2-30% by volume of an alkylated 8-hydroxyquinoline,
- (b) 5-50% by volume of an organophosphoric acid having the general formula ##STR15## wherein R represents an unsubstituted or substituted hydrocarbon group. (c) 0.5-10% by volume of nonyl-phenol, and
- (d) an inert organic diluent,
- while maintaining the acid content of the aqueous phase at at least 1N, whereby antimony is selectively extracted from the aqueous phase to the organic phase, and separating the resultant antimony-charged organic phase from the resultant antimony-barren aqueous phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.