Method for preventing the formation of jarosite and ammonium and alkali based double salts in solvent extraction circuits connected to acidic leaching processes

摘要

A method for preventing the formation of jarosite, ammonium and alkali metal double salts during solvent extraction and leaching of an acidic leaching process in which an aqueous solution containing at least two metals are separated selectively from each other, and ammonium and alkali salts in the solution are neutralized prior to separation of the metals from the solution, and the formation of harmful double salts are prevented by using an exchange ion, which includes separating a first metal of the at least two metals by solvent extraction after neutralizing the solvent extraction solution by means of ammonium or alkali base; contacting the extraction solution with an aqueous solution containing an exchange ion, and replacing the ammonium or alkali ions contained in the extraction solution with the metal exchange ion during a pre-extraction step, whereby the ammonium or alkali ions are transferred into the aqueous solution to prevent formation of ammonium and alkali based double salts in a leach process solution.