Yttrium purification

Abstract

Abstract A CONTINOUS PROCESS USEFUL FOR THE PURIFICATION OF YTTRIUM FROM AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING LIGHT RARE EARTHS, HEAVY RARE EARTHS AND YTTRIUM COMPRISING: (A) AN EXTRACTION STEP HAVING A PLURALITY OF STAGES WHEREIN AN ORGANIC EXTRACTANT SOLUTION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF SPECIFIC ALKYL PHOSPHORIC ACIDS IN SPECIFIC AMOUNTS, TRIBUTYL PHOSPHATES IN SPECIFIC AMOUNTS AND A HYDROCARBON SOLVENT, (B) A SCRUBBING STEP HAVING A PLURALITY OF STAGES WHEREIN THE ORGAINIC PHASE FROM THE EXTRACTION STEP IS SCRUBBED WITH AN ACIDIC AQUEOUS SCRUB SOLUTION AND THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION IS THEREAFTER RECYCLED TO THE EXTRACTANT STEP, (C) A STRIPPING STEP HAVING A PLURALITY OF STAGES WHEREIN THE ORGANIC PHASE FORM THE SCRUBBING STEP IS STRIPPED WITH AN AQUEOUS NITRIC ACID SOLUTION TO REMOVE YTTRIUM AND THE HEAVY RARE EARTHS FROM THE ORGANIC PHASE, (D) A WASHING STEP HAVING A PLURALITY OF STAGES WHEREIN THE STRIPPED ORGANIC PHASE IS CONTACTED WITH DEIONIZED WATER, AND (E) RECYCLING THE ORGANIC PHASE TO THE EXTRACTION STEP AND PROCESSING THE YTTRIUM BEARING AQUEOUS SOLUTION TO SEPARATE YTTRIUM FROM THE HEAVY RARE EARTHS.

Inventors

• 👤 Vincent Chiola
• 👤 Joseph J Cleveland
• 👤 George J Kamin
• 👤 Tai K Kim

Bibliographic Details