LLP “Kazgidromed”, Karaganda, Kazakhstan:

S. V. Zakharyan, Head of Research Laboratory

A. U. Serikbay, Research Engineer of Research Laboratory

Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Moscow, Russia:
I. D. Troshkina, Professor of a Chair of Technology of Rare Elements and Nanomaterials on Their Basis, e-mail: tid@rctu.ru
I. A. Vanin, Post-graduate Student

We studied the distribution of rare elements (radiogenic osmium and uranium) at the hydrometallurgical processing of crude concentrate obtained by flotation of off-balance copper-sulfide ores of Zhezkazgan deposit (Kazakhstan). Osmium and uranium content in the rougher concentrate ((0.90–5.61)·10^–3g/t and 1.91 g/t, respectively) was determined by mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma. Flotation concentrate is leached by the solutions of nitric acid with the addition of sodium chloride. Firstly, rhenium is sorbed from the obtained solutions by weakly basic anion exchanger Purolite A170 with a secondary amine functional groups, then copper is sorbed by macroporous ion exchanger Lewatit MonoPlus TP 220 with chelating groups of bis-picolylamine. As a result, radiogenic osmium is accumulated in the sorbents. When rhenium is eluted by ammonia solution (8%), radiogenic osmium is also desorbed. In a second stage of rhenium sorption from the primary eluate using impregnate containing trialkylamine, it remains in solution. Marketable product of osmium can be obtained by the known methods  from chelate adsorbent Lewatit MonoPlus TP 220 after working in copper processing and from rhenium solution after sorption in the second stage. Uranium is leached from the rough concentrate and is not extracted from the productive solution on the sorption stages of rhenium and copper, which contributes to high quality end products (copper, rhenium, silver). The specific activity of natural radionuclides in the slurry is significantly lower than the value corresponding to boundary condition of waste classification as liquid radioactive wastes.

This work was carried out with the partial financing of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation within the subsidiary agreement No. 14.580.21.0004 on 19.08.2015 (project ID RFMEFI58015X0004).

1. Rylnikova M. V., Yun A. B., Terenteva I. V. Prospects and development strategy of Jezkazgan deposit. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2015. No. 5. pp. 44–49.
2. Yun A. B., Terenteva I. V., Bochkareva T. N. Differentiation of Zhezkazgan deposit reserves as the basis for the selection of ecologically balanced mining technology. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2016. No. 5. pp. 63–68.
3. Palant A. A., Troshkina I. D., Chekmarev A. M., Kostylev A. I. Rhenium technology. Moscow : LLC “Galleya-Print”, 2015. 329 p.
4. Hiskey J. B. Innovative strategies for copper hydrometallurgy. Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy: 100 Years of Innovation. Englewood : SME, 2014. pp. 347–360.
5. Nebeker N., Hiskey J. B. Recovery of rhenium from copper leach solution by ion exchange. Hydrometallurgy. 2012. Vol. 125/126. pp. 64–68.
6. Rhenium. Moscow : Bolshaya Rossiyskaya entsiklopediya, 2015. Vol. 28. pp. 389–390.
7. Kalinin S. K., Fayn E. E. Rhenium and radiogenic osmium in natural objects. Izvestiya AN KazSSR. Seriya geologicheskaya. 1977. No. 6. pp. 1–7.
8. Madin M. I., Ozerova T. A. S. K. Kalinin and his contribution in rhenium and osmium investigation in Zhezkagan and some other deposits. Izvestiya NAN RK. Seriya geologii i tekhnicheskikh nauk. 2016. Vol. 3. pp. 20–26.
9. Zagorodnyaya A. N., Abisheva Z. S., Bukurov T. N. Rhenium and osmium distribution by the products of processing of sulfide copper raw materials. Tsvetnye Metally. 1997. No. 9. pp. 47–50.
10. Zagorodnyaya A. N., Abisheva Z. S., Ponomareva E. I. et al. About the composition of residuals, formed during the solid phase reextraction of rhenium. Complex processing of mineral raw materials. 2002. pp. 52–56.
11. Chmielewski A. G., Wawszczak D., Brykala M. Possibility of uranium and rare metal recovery in the Polish copper mining industry. Hydrometallurgy. 2016. Vоl. 159. pp. 12–18.
12. Wawszczak D., Deptula A., Lada W., Smolinski T., Olczak T., Brykala M., Wojtowicz P., Rogowski M., Mikowska M., Chmielewski A. G. Studies of leaching of copper ores and flotation wastes. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. 2014. Vol. 300, No. 1. pp. 243–247.
13. Available at: https://rg.ru/2012/10/29/radiootxody-site-dok.html.
14. Moiseev A. A., Ivanov V. I. Reference book on dosimetry and physics health. Moscow : Atomenergoizdat, 1984. 296 p.
15. Korotkevich V. M., Lazarchuk V. V., Shikerun T. G., Shamin V. I., Mikhaylova N. A., Dorda F. A. Extraction processing of concentrated solutions of uranyl nitrate with high impurities content. Izvestiya Tomskogo politekhnicheskogo universiteta. 2007. Vol. 311, No. 3. pp. 25–29.
16. Sinitsyn N. M., Kunaev A. M., Ponomareva E. I., Bodnar N. M., Pichkov V. N., Abisheva Z. S., Zaytsev V. P. Osmium metallurgy. Alma-Ata : Nauka, 1981. 186 p.
17. Greyver T. N., Kassatsier E. L., Vergizova T. E., Khudyakov V. M., Khaydov V. V., Lomonosov V. N., Kulakova A. A. Method of processing of osmium-bearing products. Patent RF, No. 2044084. Applied: 15.06.1993. Published: 20.09.1995. Bulletin No. 26.
18. Kasikov A. G., Areshina N. S., Gromov P. B. Method of recovering osmium for ion-exchange resin. Patent RF, No. 2131939. Applied: 22.06.1998. Published: 20.06.1999. Bulletin No. 17.