Method for extracting osmium and ruthenium from noble metal concentrates
AssigneeW.C. Heraeus GmbH
InventorsMatthias Grehl, Horst Meyer, Dieter Schäfer
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Abstract
A method for extracting osmium and ruthenium from noble metal concentrates, by: a) treatment of a noble metal concentrate containing osmium and ruthenium with nitric acid at a maximum temperature of about T=+30° C., b) heating of the resultant suspension/solution to a minimum temperature of about T=+85° C.; c) capturing the resultant osmium tetroxide in an absorption solution; d) treatment of the suspension/solution having a temperature of about T=+20° C. to 30° C. with hydroxide at a maximum reaction temperature of about T=+65° C.; and e) treatment of the alkaline suspension/solution from step d) with a substance for the oxidizing leaching of the ruthenium.
Claims9
Method for the extraction of osmium and ruthenium from noble metal concentrates containing osmium and ruthenium wherein
- a) nitric acid is added to the noble metal concentrate at a maximum temperature of 30° C. and the resultant suspension/solution heating to a minimum temperature of 85° C. to form osmium tetroxide,
- b) the osmium tetroxide is collected in an absorption solution,
- c) the suspension/solution now free of osmium tetroxide id cooled to a temperature of 20° C. to 30° C. and a hydroxide is added while maintaining the temperature at a maximum of about 65° C., to adjust the suspension/solution to an alkaline pH, and
- d) the alkaline suspension/solution from c) is treated with a substance for the oxidative extraction of the ruthenium and formation of a ruthenate solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.