RECOVERY OF NIOBIUM AND TANTALUM FROM ORE CONTAINING NIOBIUM AND TANTALUM

摘要

PURPOSE:To separate and recover niobium and tantalum from the ore containing niobium and tantalum, in high yield and purity, by decomposing the ore with hydrofluoric acid and sulfuric acid, treating the decomposition product with F-type anion exchange resin, and treating the resin with a solution of hydrofluoric acid and ammonium chloride. CONSTITUTION:An ore containing niobium and tantalum such as niocalite, is finely pulverized, and decomposed with hydrofluoric acid and sulfuric acid under heating. The decomposition product is filtered to remove the precipitate, and the filtrate is passed through an F-type anion exchange resin column to adsorb niobium and tantalum to the resin. The resin is washed thoroughly with hydrofluoric acid and hydrogen fluoride at a concentration of =1M, and then niobium and tantalum are eluted from the resin with 1M hydrofluoric acid solution containing 4M of ammonium chloride. The eluate is evaporated to dryness and calcined in an electric furnace to recover the mixed oxide of niobium and tantalum.