Process for recovering zr-values from ores

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD OF SEPARATING THE ZIRCONIUM FROM THE ZIRCONIUM-SILICA BEARING ORE WHICH INVOLVES HEATING THE ORE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE WITH AN ALKALI SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE AND ALKALI METAL CARBONATE TO CONVERT A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE SILICA TO WATER SOLUBLE FORM AND PRODUCE A WATER INSOLUBLE ALKALI METAL ZIRCONIUM COMPONENT, LEACHING SUCH WATER SOLUBLE FORM OF SILICA FROM THE ALKALI METAL ZIRCONATE TO LEAVE A SILICA LEAN ALKALI METAL ZIRCONATE RESIDUE AND THEREAFTER DISSOLVING SUCH ALKALI METAL ZIRCONATE RESIDUE IN ACID TO SOLUBILIZE ZIRCONIUM, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN A COMPOUND HAVING A METAL CATION, A SILICATE OF WHICH METAL CATION IS WATER INSOLUBLE, IS ADDED TO THE RESIDUE, THE RESULTING MIXTURE IS HEATED PRIOR TO DISSOLVING IN ACID TO SOLUBLIZE THE ZICONIUM, WHEREBY TO OBTAIN AN ACID SOLUTION OF ZIRCONIUM CONTAINING A SEPARABLE SOLID PHASE OF SILICA AND SUCH SOLID PHASE SILICA IS SEPARATED THEREFROM.