Process for working up mixtures of metals and soaps

摘要

The drawing compound residues produced during wire production are an intimate mixture of abraded metal and drawing soap and must be disposed of as special-category waste. By means of the process, the valuable fractions, metal and soap, are separated and recovered as raw materials of high quality. After removal of coarse metal turnings using physical methods, the soaps are converted into the corresponding fatty acids using strong mineral acids and are then freed from residual water-soluble contaminants by warming to above their melting point. The relatively coarse metal parts of the spent wire drawing compound are advantageously removed by float/sink separation, for which the separation medium is a concentrated aqueous solution of salts of the mineral acids used. Work-up of drawing compound residues from wire production.