Solvent extraction of Cu, Mo, V, and U from leach solutions of copper ore and flotation tailings

Tomasz Smolinski,Danuta Wawszczak,Marta Pyszynska,Andrzej Grzegorz Chmielewski,Andrzej Deptula,Marcin Rogowski,Tadeusz Olczak,Wieslawa Lada

doi:10.1007/s10967-017-5383-y

Tomasz Smolinski, Danuta Wawszczak + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5383-y

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Abstract

Flotation tailings from copper production are deposits of copper and other valuable metals, such as Mo, V and U. New hydrometallurgical technologies are more economical and open up new possibilities for metal recovery. This work presents results of the study on the extraction of copper by mixed extractant consisting p-toluidine dissolved in toluene. The possibility of simultaneous liquid–liquid extraction of molybdenum and vanadium was examined. D2EHPA solutions was used as extractant, and recovery of individual elements compared for the representative samples of ore and copper flotation tailings. Radiometric methods were applied for process optimization.

Highlights

di-(2ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) solutions was used as extractant, and recovery of individual elements compared for the representative samples of ore and copper flotation tailings
Hydrometallurgical processes are often coupled to pyrometallurgical ones [1,2,3,4]
In order to better characterise the efficiency of the extraction process, we introduced the concept of extraction percentage (% E), which is given by:

Summary

Introduction

Hydrometallurgical processes are often coupled to pyrometallurgical ones (e.g., the electrochemical refining of metals obtained by pyrometallurgical process, or roasting and high-temperature reduction of hydroxides precipitated from solutions obtained by ore leaching) [1,2,3,4]. Ore or concentrate is crushed and milled, and subjected to enrichment by physical processes and subsequent leaching. At this stage, metal compounds insoluble in water are converted into soluble salts suitable for other operations. The composition of the leach solution is chosen depending on the type of raw material subjected to leaching. These can be acids: H2SO4, HCl, HNO3; hydroxide: NaOH; chlorides: NH4Cl, FeCl3; or carbonates: Na2CO3, (NH4)2CO3 [12,13,14,15,16]. For this purpose one of the following processes: extraction, membrane processes, ion exchange, cementation, crystallization, precipitation, can be used or other hybrid techniques applied

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