METHOD FOR OBTAINING METALLIC GALLIUM Russian patent published in 2024 - IPC C22B58/00 C25C1/22 

FIELD: metallurgy.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the production of gallium metal by treating gallium-containing concentrate with alkali and its electrochemical reduction. The method involves treating the concentrate in alkali. After treating the concentrate in alkali, gallium hydroxide is precipitated from a gallium concentration of 0.5-0.9 g/l, an oxide is obtained, it is decomposed in a solution of sodium hydroxide and gallium is electrochemically reduced. The gallium-containing concentrate is fired, leached in a sodium hydroxide solution, the hydroxide is precipitated from a gallium concentration of 0.5-0.9 g/l, gallium oxide is obtained, and decomposed in a sodium hydroxide solution. Heavy metals in the form of sulphides are separated from the sulphuric acid solution, gallium hydroxide is precipitated from a gallium concentration of 1.0-1.5 g/l, the oxide is obtained, decomposed in alkali and gallium is electrochemically reduced.

EFFECT: method provides an increase in the degree of gallium extraction while simultaneously simplifying its chemical purification, as well as reducing impurities in the resulting gallium metal and obtaining an isotope-enriched product with chemical purity in accordance with specified requirements.

3 cl, 16 ex