Eco Tek, Inc.

Bryan J Carlson

The process for recovering boron values and fluorine values from an acidic aqueous feed liquor containing substantial fluoroborate moieties, including contacting the feed liquor with basic material to adjust the pH thereof to above about 7.0 and provide a first clarified liquor containing the fluoroborate moieties, and contacting the first clarified liquor at elevated temperature with sufficient cation reactant selected from Al(OH).sub.3 or Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3 to precipitate substantially all of the fluorine values as an aluminum fluoride compound and provide a second clarified liquor containing the boron values as boric acid.

Metal and fluorine values recovery from mineral ore treatment

The process for converting water insoluble, hazardous materials of high mineral content containing, e.g., substantial metal values of one or more of Ca, Ta, Nb, Mn, Mg, Al or the like to valuable nonhazardous products or discard, wherein the material also contains substantial fluorine values and radionuclide values assaying above about 30 pCi/g, the process having the steps of contacting the materials with an acidic aqueous system or digest medium containing boric acid and an acid component containing one or more other mineral acids, the ratio of the system (Liters) to the material (Kg) ranging from about 2/1 to about 20/1, the total concentrations of all of the acids being sufficient to solubilize selected ones of the metal values at commercially acceptable rates, the contacting being carried out for a period of time and at temperatures sufficient to solubilize at least the fluorine and uranium values into a digest liquor, separating the uranium values from the digest liquor to give substantially purified uranium values, and contacting the resulting raffinate liquor with cation reactant to form and precipitate fluoride salt product, the salt product and the raffinate liquor both having radionuclide values assays of less than about 30 pCi/g.

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Johnson City, TX, United States of America

Bryan J Carlson