Method for treating a solution containing zinc sulphate
AssigneeOutotec Oyj
InventorsJustin Salminen, Teppo Riihimäki, Mikko Ruonala
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method for treating a solution containing zinc sulphate, so that at least one of the rare metals such as indium, gallium and germanium can be separated from it. A portion of the metals to be separated can be precipitated from zinc sulphate solution by neutralizing the acidic solution and at least a portion is cemented by means of metal powder. The solid precipitates that are formed can be combined and treated subsequently in some suitable way to leach out the desired metals.
Claims11
A method for treating an acidic solution containing zinc sulphate in order to separate at least one metal or compounds of them in solution from the acidic solution containing zinc sulphate, whereby the metal to be separated is one of the group of indium, gallium and germanium, wherein the acidic solution containing zinc sulphate is neutralised in a pre-neutralisation stage to a pH value of 2.5-3.5 and wherein a precipitate formed in the pre-neutralisation stage is separated from the acidic solution containing zinc sulphate by solids-liquid separation and a precipitate obtained from the solids-liquid separation is subjected to a precipitate scrubbing and leaching stage and at least one of the group of metals or compounds of them to be separated is separated from the acidic solution containing zinc sulphate obtained from the solids-liquid separation in a cementation stage by means of zinc powder.
A method for treating an acidic solution containing zinc sulphate in order to separate at least one metal or compounds of them in solution from the acidic solution containing zinc sulphate, whereby the metal to be separated is one of the group of indium, gallium and germanium, wherein the acidic solution containing zinc sulphate is neutralised in a pre-neutralisation stage to a pH value of 2.5-3.5 and wherein a precipitate formed in the pre-neutralisation stage is separated from the solution containing zinc sulphate by solids-liquid separation and the separated precipitate is subjected to a precipitate scrubbing and leaching stage and wherein a precipitate is formed in a cementation stage and the precipitate is contained in the acidic solution containing zinc sulphate and subjected to a gallium precipitation stage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.