Recovery and separation of gadolinium and gallium
AssigneeSwiss Aluminium Ltd.
InventorErwin Gusset
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Gallium and gadolinium are recovered and separated from scrap material of substances which contain both of these elements in the form of oxides or compounds which can be transformed to the oxides. The scrap is finely ground and then dissolved in a strong, aqueous mineral acid. The gadolinium is precipitated from the purified solution as the oxalate; then the gallium is deposited in the metallic form by means of electrolysis. The electrolytic deposition of the gallium can also take place before the gadolinium is precipitated out as the oxalate.
Claims10
A process for the recovery and separation of gadolinium and gallium from scrap material of substances containing both of these elements basically in the form of oxides or compounds which can be transformed to the oxides including the steps of
- (a) grinding the scrap material to a particle size smaller than 100 .mu.m,
- (b) dissolving the finely ground scrap in a strong, aqueous mineral acid,
- (c) precipitating out impurities,
- (d) precipitating the gadolinium as the oxalate, and
- (e) depositing the gallium in the metallic form by electrolysis.
A process for the recovery and separation of gadolinium and gallium from scrap material of substances containing both of these elements basically in the form of oxides or compounds which can be transformed to oxides including the steps of
- (a) grinding the scrap material to a particle size smaller than 100 .mu.m,
- (b) dissolving the finely ground material in a strong, aqueous mineral acid,
- (c) precipitating out impurities,
- (d) depositing the gallium electrolytically in the metallic form, and
- (e) precipitating the gadolinium as the oxalate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.