Patent US4130625A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US4130625A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Recovery and purification of iridium

Assignee: National Institute of Metallurgy
•
Filing: 1977-06-15
•
Granted: 1978-12-19
•
Expires: 1997-06-15
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A method of recovering iridium from a solution thereof containing rhodium and impurities in the form of base metals comprising; oxidizing the iridium to the Ir(IV) oxidation state in an acid solution in the presence of chloride ions; removing the iridium chlorocomplexes formed using a suitable anion-exchange resin; washing the resin; treating the iridium with an aqueous solution of sulphur dioxide which is substantially free of chloride ions; and thereafter eluting the iridium complex formed from the resin using a suitable eluant.

Inventors

  • 👤 Ann P. Evers
  • 👤 Roderick I. Edwards
  • 👤 Monika M. Fieberg

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 18:50
CPC Classifications
C; C01; C01G; C01G55/00; C01G55/001; C22; C22B; C22B11/00; C22B11/04; C22B3/00; C22B3/20; C22B3/42; Y; Y02; Y02P; Y02P10/00; Y02P10/20

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 164 words
A method of separating iridium from a solution thereof also containing rhodium the method comprising the steps of: (1) oxidizing the solution in the presence of hydrochloric acid to convert the iridium contained therein to the Ir(IV) oxidation state; (2) passing the solution into contact with an anion exchange resin to retain the oxidized iridium on the resin; (3) washing the resin with a dilute hydrochloric acid solution to remove any solution entrained therein; (4) contacting the washed resin with a substantially chloride free solution of sulphur dioxide in water thereby reducing the iridium to the Ir(111) oxidation state and simultaneously forming iridium sulphito-chloro-complexes; (5) eluting the resin with a hydrochloric acid solution to remove the iridium sulphito-chloro complexes therefrom; (6) boiling the resultant solution containing the iridium sulphito-chloro complexes to convert the iridium to the chloro-complex with the iridium in the Ir(III) oxidation state and to simultaneously remove sulphur dioxide; and (7) recovering the iridium from the solution resulting from step (6) above.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 164 words
A method of separating iridium from a solution thereof also containing rhodium the method comprising the steps of: (1) oxidizing the solution in the presence of hydrochloric acid to convert the iridium contained therein to the Ir(IV) oxidation state; (2) passing the solution into contact with an anion exchange resin to retain the oxidized iridium on the resin; (3) washing the resin with a dilute hydrochloric acid solution to remove any solution entrained therein; (4) contacting the washed resin with a substantially chloride free solution of sulphur dioxide in water thereby reducing the iridium to the Ir(111) oxidation state and simultaneously forming iridium sulphito-chloro-complexes; (5) eluting the resin with a hydrochloric acid solution to remove the iridium sulphito-chloro complexes therefrom; (6) boiling the resultant solution containing the iridium sulphito-chloro complexes to convert the iridium to the chloro-complex with the iridium in the Ir(III) oxidation state and to simultaneously remove sulphur dioxide; and (7) recovering the iridium from the solution resulting from step (6) above.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 22 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 in which step (1) is conducted in the presence of about 6 molar hydrochloric acid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 27 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 in which step (1) is conducted at a temperature of at least about 40° C. using chlorine as the oxidant.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 20 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the anion exchange resin is a strongly basic anion exchange resin.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 23 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dilute hydrochloric acid of step (3) has a concentration of about 0.1 molar HCl.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 22 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 in which a saturated solution of sulphur dioxide in water is used in step (4).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 25 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the elution of step (5) is conducted using a hydrochloric acid solution of about 6 molar.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 82 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the iridium is recovered including steps of: (8) oxidizing the iridium contained in the solution resulting from step (6) in the presence of hydrochloric acid converting iridium to the Ir(IV) oxidation state; (9) contacting the resultant solution with an organic phase containing a liquid solvent extractant and extracting the iridium into the organic phase; and, (10) stripping the organic phase with a dilute hydrochloric acid solution removing iridium from the resulting aqueous phase.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 16 words
A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the liquid solvent extractant is tri-butyl phosphate.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3979207A Cited
DE2555879A1 Cited
US3999983A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1981-12-18 1982-06-19 1982-12-19 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1985-12-18 1986-06-19 1986-12-19 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1989-12-18 1990-06-19 1990-12-19 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag