Rhenium recovery
AssigneeASARCO Incorporated
InventorNeil Nebeker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method for rhenium recovery from copper solvent extraction solution. It is determined whether the copper solvent extraction solution contains trace amounts of rhenium. If so, a feedstock from the copper solvent extraction solution is provided, which is then filtered, producing filtered feedstock. Trace amounts of rhenium are absorbed from the filtered feedstock using a supply of ion exchange resin selective for rhenium. The ion exchange resin is washed. Trace amounts of rhenium are eluted from the ion exchange resin using a first amount of eluent, a second amount of eluent and a third amount of eluent. The first amount and the third amount of eluent produce supplemental feedstock and the second amount of eluent produces rhenium eluate. The rhenium eluate is collected and the ion exchange resin is protonated.
Claims23
A method of recovering rhenium from copper solvent extraction solution, comprising:
- Determining that the copper solvent extraction solution contains trace amounts of rhenium;
- Providing a feedstock from the copper solvent extraction solution, the feedstock comprising trace amounts of rhenium;
- Filtering the feedstock, producing filtered feedstock;
- Absorbing the trace amounts of rhenium from the filtered feedstock using a supply of ion exchange resin selective for rhenium;
- Washing the supply of the ion exchange resin;
- Eluting trace amounts of rhenium from the ion exchange resin using a first amount of eluent, a second amount of eluent and a third amount of eluent, the first amount and the third amount producing supplemental feedstock and the second amount producing rhenium eluate;
- Collecting the rhenium eluate;
- and
- After the eluting, protonating the ion exchange resin.
A method of recovering rhenium from copper solvent extraction solution, comprising:
- Determining that the copper solvent extraction solution contains molybdenum and trace amounts of rhenium;
- Providing a feedstock from the copper solvent extraction solution, the feedstock comprising molybdenum and trace amounts of rhenium;
- Filtering the feedstock, producing filtered feedstock;
- Absorbing the trace amounts of rhenium but not the molybdenum from the filtered feedstock using a supply of ion exchange resin selective for rhenium but not for molybdenum;
- Washing the supply of the ion exchange resin;
- Eluting trace amounts of rhenium from the ion exchange resin using a first amount of a eluent, a second amount of the eluent and a third amount of the eluent, the first amount and the third amount producing supplemental feedstock and the second amount producing rhenium eluate;
- After the eluting of trace amounts of rhenium, protonating the ion exchange resin;
- and
- Collecting the rhenium eluate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.