Method for selectively removing antimony and bismuth from sulphuric acid solutions
AssigneeThe University of British Columbia
InventorsDavid B. Dreisinger, Brenna J. Y. Leong
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Abstract
The present invention is concerned with a method for selectively removing antimony and bismuth from an impure sulphuric acid solution containing at least 50 g/L of acid and some concentration of ferric ion (for example copper refinery electrolyte), is disclosed. The method involves contacting the impure solution with a sufficient quantity of finely divided metallic copper so as to prereduce all ferric ion present in the solution to the ferrous oxidation state. The prereduced solution is then contacted with a chelating resin. The method avoids the deleterious loading of ferric iron onto the ion exchange resin and prevents the return of excessive amounts of chloride ion with the purified electrolyte.
Claims12
A method for the purification of sulphuric acid solutions having a sulfuric acid concentration of at least 50 grams per liter containing ferric ions and at least one of antimony ions and bismuth ions, which comprises:
- reducing the ferric ions to ferrous ions in the solution;
- selectively removing the antimony and bismuth ions by passing the reduced solution through an ion exchange resin;
- recovering purified sulphuric acid solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.