Process for improving phase separations in solvent extraction circuits of metal winning

摘要

The addition of a compatible metal salt crystal to the organic solution entering the mixer(s) in the solvent extraction stage(s) and/or the stripping stage(s), or to the emulsion mixture of the organic solution and the aqueous solution in the mixer(s), or to the mixture of the organic solution and the aqueous solution in a settler tank(s) following the mixer(s) in the solvent extraction and/or stripping stage(s) following the leaching of metal values from the ore containing that/those value(s) into an aqueous solution, and prior to the further refining of those values in processes, such as electrowinning, during mining operations for those metal values in order to improve the phase separation of the organic phase and the aqueous phase, and to promote the removal of contaminants from the organic phase.