Elution of antimony from solid phases

摘要

A method for the removal of antimony ions from solid phases which have an affinity for antimony ions comprises contacting the antimony containing solid phase with an aqueous eluent solution comprising a mixture of a concentrated solution of sulfuric acid and a dilute solution of hydrochloric acid to quantitatively strip the antimony ions from the solid phase The antimony containing eluent is then removed from contact with the solid phase. The eluent used is a mixture having a sulfuric acid concentration of about 6 to 10M and a hydrochloric acid concentration of about 0.05 to 0.5M. The sulfuric acid can be a "black acid" obtained from copper refining operations. The solid phase having an affinity for antimony ions is generally a member selected from the group consisting of chelating ion exchange resins and macrocyclic or nonmacrocyclic ligands bonded to a hydrophilic solid support. Preferably the process will be carried out by placing the solid phase in a column and passing the eluent through the column to strip the antimony from the solid phase.