METHOD FOR EXTRACTING SCANDIUM FROM SCANDIUM-CONTAINING MATERIALS

摘要

A method for extracting scandium from scandium-containing materials comprises repulping a cake of a scandium-containing material using a solution of a sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate mixture, carbonization leaching the scandium-containing material using the soda-bicarbonate solution in a single step, filtering the leached scandium-containing material, and isolating a scandium concentrate. The carbonization leaching of the scandium-containing material is performed using a solution of a sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate mixture with a concentration of 130-350 g/dm3 of Nа2СО3 and 2-100 g/dm3 of NaHCO3 at a pulp pH of 9.5-11.0 and at a temperature of 20-90 °С. The required pulp pH value is maintained by treating the pulp with a gas-air mixture containing СО2. Isolation of the scandium concentrate from the leaching filtrate is carried out in a single step by treating the filtrate with an alkali solution. The method makes it possible to increase the scandium extraction yield, to simplify the process flow scheme and to eliminate the use of sorbents and extractants.