Titanium extraction from acidic solutions was investigated using Aliquat-336, considering factors like acid type and concentration for leaching, diluent type for solvent extraction, equilibration time, extractant concentration, phase ratio, and temperature. Kerosene exhibited superior performance as an aliphatic diluent for Aliquat-336 compared to other utilized diluents. The extraction efficiency was inversely proportional to the dielectric constant of the diluents. The quantitative Ti(IV) extraction efficiency from phosphoric acid (6 M H3PO4) leach liquor of ilmenite and rutile achived 98 % at room temperature (298 K) in 10 min after mixing with 0.1 M Aliquat-336 dissolved in kerosene at a phase volume ratio of 1:1 (Aq:Org). The exothermic extraction process occurred spontaneously. The proposed extraction mechanism using Aliquat-336/kerosene involves ion-pair association of the extractant with a Ti(IV) complex, confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The Ti(IV) ions were effectively stripped using HNO3 (3 M) with an aqueous:organic phase volume ratio of 1:1 at 25 °C after a contact time of 10 min in each step. The Aliquat-336/kerosene efficiently tested for Ti(IV) recovery from acidic Abu-Ghalaga ilmenite and rutile leachate. The findings indicate that, the phosphate medium is highly efficient in extracting Ti(IV), even with low concentration of Aliquat-336 in kerosene, especially in comparison to the impurities such as Fe, Cr, and Al. The EDX, XRD, and wet chemical analyses of the final product after the hydrolysis of stripped Ti(IV) from samples originating from the Abu-Ghalaga area and rutile samples, confirmed the formation of high-purity TiO2 (predominantly anatase phase). The SEM results showed particles with a regularly spherical structure and uniform size.
In this work, an industrial hazardous jarosite residue produced in the zinc hydrometallurgical process containing silver was used to evaluate the feasibility of using thiourea (Tu) for silver leaching under acidic conditions in the presence of oxalate (C2O42− ion denoted as Ox2−). The shrinking core kinetic model (SCKM) was applied to evaluate the effect of variables on the reaction rate. The chemical reaction of H3O+ with the jarosite surface was the controlling stage. The results of batch experiments revealed that silver extraction is influenced by various factors in the descending order: pH > T (temperature) > [Tu] (thiourea concentration) > [Ox2−] (oxalate concentration). The extraction efficiency of Ag was 98 % at high levels of both T and [H2SO4], although a higher [Tu] was required. High Tu consumption was associated with the stability of Tu due to the presence of Fe3+ and Cu2+ ions leached along with Ag+, which affect the redox potential catalyzing Tu oxidation. Temperature is the most effective variable with a reaction rate constant of kexp = 1.1 min−1 at 60 °C, but it causes a decrease in silver extraction to 92.5 %. The kinetic parameters were obtained using the SCKM; furthermore, the experimental results were statistically validated through a surface response experimental design.
Ultrasonic radiation is widely used in the enhancement of leaching process with outstanding advantages in leaching efficiency. In this study, a germanium concentrate was leached with NaClO and the influence of factors such as ultrasound power and oxidant addition on the leaching efficiency of germanium from the concentrate were investigated. The leaching efficiency of germanium reached 96.8% at the initial concentration of hydrochloric acid of 8 mol/L, the oxidant dosage of 1.5 g/L NaClO, the liquid-solid volume/mass ratio of 6 mL/g, the ultrasonic power density of 13.3 W/cm3, and the stirring speed of 300 rpm for 30 min at 60 °C. The leaching efficiency was 4.50% higher at a shorter leaching time and lower temperature, than that of the conventional process, which was mainly attributed to the ultrasonic multiple effects and NaClO. Meanwhile, NaClO can effectively oxidize As(III) into non-volatile As(V), remove arsenic in germanium, facilitate the subsequent distillation, improve the leaching efficiency, and be more environmentally friendly.