COMMON SEPARATION OF CONTAMINATING ELEMENTS FROM ELECTROLYTE SOLUTIONS OF VALUABLE METALS

摘要

A process for the common or simultaneous separation of arsenic, antimony, bismuth and iron from electrolyte solutions of valuable metals by solvent extraction and subsequent recovery of the contamination elements, which process is characterized in that aqueous mineral-acidic electrolyte solutions of valuable metals are admixed with a sparingly water soluble organic solvent containing at least one hydroxamic acid, the aqueous and organic phases are thoroughly mixed, the contaminating elements arsenic, antimony and bismuth are precipitated from the organic phase by direct sulfide precipitation, the sulfides are separated, and the extracted iron is subsequently reextracted with a water soluble iron-complexing agent into an aqueous phase and recovered.