Multi-stage adsorption of pentavalent vanadium values on anion exchange resins

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS OF RECOVERING VANADIUM VALUES BY ADSORPTION ON FIXED BEDS OF ANION EXCHANGE RESIN FROM ACID LEACH LIQUORS CONTAINING VANADIUM COMPOUNDS IN PENTAVALENT FROM AND HAVING A PH FROM 1.3 TO 2.0, THE CONTENT OF PENTAVALENT VANADIUM COMPOUNDS BEING SUFFICIENTLY HIGH SO AS TO PRECIPITATE INSOLUABLE POLYVANADATES WHEN CONTACTED, AT TEMPERATURES EXCEEDING 40*C., WITH A FIXED BED OF ANION EXCHANGE RESIN, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES CIRCULATING SAID LEACH LIQUOR IN SERIES THROUGH A PLURALITY OF BEDS OF ANION EXCHANGE RESIN, THE TEMPERATURE OF THE LEACH LIQUOR BEING MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW 40*C. DURING PASSAGE AT LEAST THROUGH THE FIRST AND RELATIVELY COLD BED OF ANION EXCHANGE RESIN, MAINTAINING THE CONTACT OF THE LEACH LIQUOR WITH THE RESIN AT THE SAID TEMPERATURE UNTIL THE RESIN ADSORBS SUFFICIENT VANADIUM CONTAINING VALVES TO REDUCE THE CONTENT OF VANADIUM COMPOUND IN THE LEACH LIQUOR BELOW THE POINT AT WHICH PRECIPITATION OF INSOLUBLE POLYVANADATES AT A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 50*C. OCCURS AND THEN CONTACTING THE SO-TREATED LIQUOR WITH ITS REDUCED CONTENT OF VANADIUM COMPOUND WITH AT LEAST ONE OTHER AND RELATIVELY HOT BED OF ANION EXCHANGE RESIN MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 50*C. UNTIL MOST OF THE REMAINING VANADIUM COMPOUNDS HAVE BEEN ADSORBED BY THE RESIN AT SUCH ELEVATED TEMPERATURE.