Solvent Extraction Circuit of Niobium from Chloride leachate

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Niobium (Nb) is a strategic material for many modern advanced technologies including medical devices, optical lens, superconducting radio frequency cavities, electromagnetic radiation detector, etc. Since the impurity even in trace amounts in Nb cannot be tolerated for the above applications, producing pure Nb is of great interest to hydrometallurgical industry. Solvent extraction (SX) method is currently the only practical way for separating metals to obtain high purity products. Most of commercialised SX processes for recovery of Nb are operated in the presence of fluoride ions (HF), mostly in a mixture with sulphuric acid (H2SO4). The complex niobium fluorides are then re-extracted from organic phase with water or dilute sulfuric acid and then can be precipitated with ammonia. However, due to stringent regulations concerning the human health and environment protection, using harmful fluorides should be reduced or eliminated. Therefore, developing an extraction process using cleaner solutions instead of fluorides is of great interest. GeoMegA, a mineral exploration and development company focused on the discovery and sustainable development of economic deposits in Québec, aims to distinguish itself with innovative engineering. The company has developed Rare Earth Elements (REE) extraction processes using hydrochloric acid (HCl). However, the remaining leachate after REE extraction contains significant amount of Nb which worth recovering. GeoMegA would like to develop Nb extraction process from HCl leachate in collaboration with CEPROCQ (Center of study of chemical processes of Quebec), which has a great experience in extraction processes. The objective of this project is the extraction of Nb from a mixture of Pyrochlore-silicate at Montviel hydrometallurgy process. The solvent extraction circuit is required to recover and purify Nb from chloride solution.