METHOD OF PRODUCING SCANDIUM-BEARING CONCENTRATE FROM RED MUD Russian patent published in 2014 - IPC C22B59/00 C22B3/12 C22B3/24 

FIELD: process engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to extraction of scandium oxide from red mud wastes of alumina production. This process comprises leaching said red mud by carbonate solutions at gassing of slime pump by gas-air mix containing CO₂. Pulp is filtered out to produce scandium-bearing solution to separate scandium, from impurities. Scandium compounds are deposited from purified solution. Scandium concentrate is filtered out, flushed dried. Red mud leaching is performed, first, by initial vibration cavitation of pulp. Scandium is separated from impurities by sorption with phosphate ionites. Scandium is desorbed from ionite organic phase by mixed carbonate-chloride solutions in pulse mode to get scandium-bearing eluate. The latter is subjected to stepwise deposition of scandium marginally soluble compounds. Note here that, first, impurities, are deposited to separate the precipitate that represents a titanium-zirconium concentrate. Now, scandium concentrate is deposited.

EFFECT: higher yield, simplified process.

7 cl, 5 tbl, 5 ex