Cabot Corporation

Other

Sinomine Resources (us) Inc.

Bart F Bakke

Patrick M Brown

Claude Deveau

Michael C Northrup

David Madden

Edwin J Bielecki

Charles R Clark

Karl A Romberger

Martin A Hobin

Methods to recover or separate cesium formate or rubidium formate or both from a mixed alkali metal formate blend are described. One method involves adding cesium sulfate or rubidium sulfate to the mixed alkali metal formate blend in order to preferentially precipitate potassium sulfate from the mixed alkali metal formate blend. Another method involves adding cesium carbonate or cesium bicarbonate or both to preferentially precipitate potassium carbonate/bicarbonate and/or other non-cesium or non-rubidium metals from the mixed alkali metal blend. Further optional steps are also described. Still one other method involves converting cesium sulfate to cesium hydroxide.

Methods to recover cesium formate from a mixed alkali metal formate blend

A method to recover cesium, rubidium, or both from secondary ore is described and involves using scans and sorting techniques. Refined secondary ore is further described.

Methods to recover cesium or rubidium from secondary ore

A method of making an alkali metal salt is described and involves (1) reacting at least one alkali metal formate with an least one acid to form an alkali metal salt in the presence of formate ions and (2) substantially removing the formate ions from the alkali metal salt formed in step (1).

Methods of forming an alkali metal salt

A method for recovering at least one metallic element from ore or other material is described and includes reacting ore or other material with a salt capable of recovering the metallic element from the ore or other material to form a reaction product that includes the metallic element. The method also includes recovering the metallic element from the reaction product. To remove the metallic element from the reaction product, the method can involve crushing the reaction product to form a crushed material and dissolving the crushed material in a solvent to remove the precipitates, thereby leaving a sulfate solution containing the metallic element.

Methods for recovering at least one metallic element from ore

A method of making a cesium salt is described and involves reacting a cesium sulfate containing solution with lime to form 1) a solution containing at least cesium hydroxide and 2) a residue comprising calcium sulfate. The method further involves removing the residue from the solution and converting the cesium hydroxide that is present in the solution to at least one type of cesium salt. The present invention further relates to uses of the cesium salt as well as methods of making cesium hydroxide using lime. Also, methods of making alkali metal salts and alkali metal hydroxides are also described.

Methods of making cesium salts and other alkali metal salts

Disclosed is a method for producing a predetermined cesium compound. The method comprises treating a cesium-containing material with a suitable reagent to dissolve at least a portion of the cesium contained in the material and form a slurry; adding a base comprising slaked lime or calcium carbonate and an acid containing the anion of the predetermined cesium compound to the slurry comprising the dissolved cesium; and separating the predetermined cesium compound. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method for producing a predetermined cesium compound from an ore comprising cesium aluminosilicate comprising: treating an ore comprising cesium aluminosilicate with an acid to form a slurry and dissolve at least a portion of the cesium contained in the ore; adding a base comprising slaked lime or calcium carbonate and a quantity of an acid containing the anion of the predetermined cesium compound to the slurry comprising dissolved or solubilized cesium; and separating the predetermined cesium compound. A drilling fluid or heavy medium separation fluid comprising the predetermined cesium compound of the process and having a specific gravity of between about 1.2 g/cm and about 2.5 g/cm and having less than 85% by weight of the predetermined cesium compound on a solution basis is also disclosed.

Process for producing a predetermined cesium compound

Disclosed is a method for producing a predetermined cesium compound. The method comprises treating a cesium-containing material with a suitable reagent to dissolve at least a portion of the cesium contained in the material and form a slurry; adding a base comprising slaked lime or calcium carbonate and an acid containing the anion of the predetermined cesium compound to the slurry comprising the dissolved cesium; and separating the predetermined cesium compound. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method for producing a predetermined cesium compound from an ore comprising cesium aluminosilicate comprising: treating an ore comprising cesium aluminosilicate with an acid to form a slurry and dissolve at least a portion of the cesium contained in the ore; adding a base comprising slaked lime or calcium carbonate and a quantity of an acid containing the anion of the predetermined cesium compound to the slurry comprising dissolved or solubilized cesium; and separating the predetermined cesium compound. A drilling fluid or heavy medium separation fluid comprising the predetermined cesium compound of the process and having a specific gravity of between about 1.2 g/cm.sup.3 and about 2.5 g/cm.sup.3 and having less than 85% by weight of the predetermined cesium compound on a solution basis is also disclosed.

Process for producing purified cesium compound from cesium alum

A metallurgical processing system for economically recovering metal values, such as columbium, tantalum, thorium, and uranium from dilute source solids, such as digestion sludges, by a series of steps including:

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The Woodlands, TX, United States of America

Bart F Bakke