Solvent Extraction Circuit of Niobium from Chloride leachate

从氯化物浸出液中溶剂萃取铌的流程

• 批准号: 515541-2017
• 负责人: Boumghar, Yacine
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: Collège de Maisonneuve
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=641224
• 关键词: Solvent; Extraction; Circuit; Niobium; Chloride

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.

铌是许多现代先进技术的战略材料，包括医疗器械、光学透镜、超导射频腔、电磁辐射探测器等。由于上述应用中即使微量的铌也不能容忍杂质，因此生产纯铌是湿法冶金工业的一大兴趣。溶剂萃取（SX）法是目前分离金属以获得高纯度产品的唯一实用方法。大多数用于回收铌的商业化SX工艺都是在氟离子（HF）存在的情况下操作的，主要是在与硫酸（H2SO4）的混合物中。然后用水或稀硫酸从有机相中重新提取络合的氟化铌，然后用氨沉淀。但是，由于有关人体健康和环境保护的严格规定，应减少或消除有害氟化物的使用。因此，开发一种用更清洁的溶液代替氟化物的萃取工艺是很有意义的。GeoMegA是一家矿产勘探和开发公司，专注于发现和可持续开发曲海的经济矿床，旨在以创新的工程技术脱颖而出。该公司开发了使用盐酸（HCl）提取稀土元素（REE）的工艺。然而，稀土提取后的剩余渗滤液中含有大量的铌，值得回收。GeoMegA希望与魁北克化学过程研究中心（CEPROCQ）合作开发从HCl渗滤液中提取Nb的工艺，CEPROCQ在提取工艺方面有丰富的经验。本项目的目的是在Montviel湿法冶金工艺中从焦绿石-硅酸盐混合物中提取铌。从氯化物溶液中回收和提纯铌需要溶剂萃取回路。