Recovery of scandium and uranium

A process comprising,

• (a) dissolving a material containing metal values comprising uranium, scandium and iron and optionally other metals in aqueous mineral acid to form an aqueous solution containing said metal values,
• (b) adjusting the pH of the said aqueous solution from about 1 to about 2 by the addition of sufficient alkali metal base to form a first pH adjusted solution,
• (c) adding a sufficient amount of an iron reducing agent to convert any trivalent iron present in said first pH adjusted solution to divalent iron,
• (d) adjusting the pH of the resulting solution that is depleted of trivalent iron to about 1.9 to about 2.1 to form a second pH adjusted solution,
• (e) contacting an iminodiacetic acid cationic ion exchange resin with said second pH adjusted solution to retain a major portion of the scandium and uranium on said resin and to form a raffinate containing a major portion of the iron and a major portion of the other metal values present,
• (f) rinsing said ion exchange resin having said scandium and uranium retained thereon with a dilute acid having a pH of from about 1.9 to about 2.1 to remove metals other than said scandium and said uranium without removing said scandium and said uranium,
• (g) eluting said resin with an aqueous solution of an organic chelating acid to remove a major portion of the scandium from said resin and to form an aqueous solution containing said scandium,
• (h) thereafter eluting said resin with an aqueous solution of a mineral acid to remove a major portion of the uranium from said resin and to form an aqueous solution containing said uranium,
• (i) adding a sufficient amount of an aqueous solution of an alkali metal base to convert essentially all of the scandium in said aqueous solution containing said scandium to form a solid material containing said scandium and a first aqueous phase essentially free of metal values,
• (j) separating said solid material containing said scandium and said first aqueous phase,
• (k) adding a sufficient amount of an alkali metal base to convert essentially all of the uranium in the aqueous solution containing said uranium to a solid material containing said uranium and a second aqueous phase essentially free of metal values,
• (l) separating said solid material containing said uranium and said second aqueous phase.