VNIPIpromtekhnologii JSC, Moscow, Russia:

A. V. Tatarnikov, Group Leader, e-mail: Tatarnikov.A.V@vnipipt.ru
E. Yu. Meshkov, Head of Laboratory, e-mail: Meshkov.E.J@vnipipt.ru
S. I. Andreeva, Specialist, e-mail: Andreeva.S.I@vnipipt.ru

M. A. Mikhaylenko, Сonsultant (Sorption Processes and Materials), Candidate of Chemical Sciences, e-mail: re186@yandex.ru

This paper looks at the following ion exchange resins: Puromet MTS9560, which has phosphonic functionality; Puromet MTS9570, which has combined phosphonic and sulphonic functionality; and an experimental ion exchange resin GS176 supposedly carrying nitrogen and oxygen ligands in its functional groups. A macroporous copolymer of styrene and divinylbenzene forms the basis of all these resins. The authors examined a number of liquors of different compositions and origin that contained rare earth metals (REMs), scandium, thorium, uranium, and unrefined impurities. Thus, the authors looked at nitric acid liquors that are involved in the processing of monazite ores, sulphuric acid liquors that are present in different processing stages when REMs are recovered, and uranium leach liquors. The paper looks at the possibility of removing radioactive impurities – such as thorium and uranium – from solutions of REM concentrates, and to extract scandium from lean solutions with complex compositions by sorption. The authors carried out a series of sorption experiments, both in static and dynamic conditions, to produce data on the selectivity of the ion exchange resins to target metals. The obtained data suggest that the nonionic resin GS176 could be used to remove thorium and uranium from solutions of REMs in nitric and sulphuric acids and to extract scandium from lean and complex composition solutions by sorption. The carbonate-ammonia liquor desorption of scandium and thorium from the GS176 resin goes easily. At the same time, this technique does not appear to be effective in case of uranium desorption as it would require more effort.

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