COLLECTION OF ZIRCONIUM BY SOLVENT EXTRACTION

摘要

A process for the recovery of zirconium from an aqueous acid solution by solvent extraction is disclosed. The process includes contacting the aqueous acid solution, which may also contain titanium and other metallic impurities, with an organic solution of a water-insoluble organic solvent and a suitable dialkyl-organophosphinic acid whereby zirconium and hafnium are selectively extracted from the aqueous solution into the organic solution with only minor amounts of coextracted titanium and other metallic impurities. The zirconium and hafnium may be subsequently stripped from the pregnant organic solution by contacting the solution with an aqueous ammonium carbonate solution whereby the zirconium and hafnium are selectively extracted from the organic solution into the aqueous ammonium carbonate solution with only trace amounts of coextracted titanium and other metallic impurities. A high purity zirconium/hafnium oxide may subsequently be precipitated from the pregnant aqueous ammonium carbonate solution by a controlled heating process.