EXTRACTION OF NIOBIUM AND TANTALUM WITH BIS-2-ETHYLHEXYL ACETAMIDE

Abstract

Abstract ABSTRACT The extraction of Nb and Ta from acid solutions with bis-2-ethylhexyl acetamide and the stripping of these metals with sulphuric acid solutions were investigated. The organic phase was a binary solution of bis-2-ethylhexyl acetamide and xylene, while the aqueous phase was composed of hydrofluoric acid solution or hydrofluoric-sulphuric acid solution containing 3.5-13 Kg/m3 Nb and 5-10 Kg/m3 Ta. Sulphuric acid, hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid were used as salting out agents to understand the effect on the extraction. Niobium and tantalum were not sufficiently extracted from hydrofluoric acid solutions, whereas the extraction of both metals remarkably increased with an addition of sulphuric acid to the aqueous phase. Both metals were completely co-extracted under the aqueous condition of 6N hydrofluoric acid and 8N sulphuric acid. The stripping occurred for both metals with high efficiency when water or dilute sulphuric acid was used as a stripping agent. The increase in sulphuric acid concentrations caused less stripping of Ta, while the stripping of Nb was maintained at 80% up to 7N sulphuric acid.