Continuous ion exchange separation of zirconium and hafnium using an annular chromatograph

Abstract

A pressurized continuous annular chromatograph (CAC) has been developed for truly continuous ion exchange preparative separations. This device utilizes a slowly rotating annular bed of sorbent material, fixed multiple feed points, and fixed withdrawal locations. Most of our investigations have been performed with a CAC of 280 mm diameter and 600 mm in length, but a larger model has recently been designed and constructed. A detailed study has been made of the separation of copper, nickel, and cobalt components from a simulated carbonate leach liquor of the Caron process for recovering nickel and cobalt from laterite ores. Recent studies have investigated the ion exchange separation of zirconium and hafnium from a sulfate feed solution. Nuclear reactor-grade zirconium, containing < 0.01% hafnium by weight, and hafnium, containing <1% zirconium, have been continuously prepared using cation exchange resin in the pressurized CAC. This device, because of its continuous feed and product withdrawal, its adaptability to largescale operations, and its ability to separate many components, is expected to make chromatography a more competitive process in the industrial sector.