METHOD OF RECOVERING METALS FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: hydrometallurgy. SUBSTANCE: method that can be used for membrane recovery, concentration, and refining of metals both in engineering and analytical practice relates to recovering metal present in aqueous solutions as a part of anions and includes addition of water- soluble polyelectrolyte containing quaternary ammonium groups followed by ultrafiltration of resulting solution through semipermeable membrane and elution of metal with aqueous reagent solution, in particular 0.5- 1.5 M nitrate ion solution. Thus obtained concentrate is washed to eliminate nitrate ions at water-to-concentrate volume ratio (3-4): 1. Coagulated on elution metal of polyelectrolyte is converted into soluble form by adding, to concentrate, reduction agent solution, after which resulting polyelectrolyte solution is returned into aqueous solution and the latter is subjected to ultrafiltration. EFFECT: enabled continuous metal recovery via polyelectrolyte-assisted complexation- ultrafiltration process involving repetitive polyelectrolyte regeneration and metal elution. 3 cl, 2 ex