Process for the selective separation and concentration of gallium and indium from solutions with a low content of these metals and a high content of other metal ions

摘要

A novel method is disclosed which enables gallium and/or indium to be selectively separated and concentrated from a solution containing them in very low concentrations together with many other metal ions in rather high concentrations. The solution is passed through a bed of a chelating ion exchange resin having an amino carboxylic acid group either immediately or after the pH adjustment. Gallium and/or indium adsorbed on the chelate resin is desorbed by eluting with a mineral acid. The eluate, after the pH adjustment, is passed through another bed of a chelating ion exchange resin having an amino carboxylic acid group, and the resin is treated with a mineral acid to elute the metal ions adsorbed on the resin to thereby recover gallium and/or indium in the form of a concentrated solution.