Gte Sylvania Incorporated

Gte Products Corporation

James C Patton, Jr

Clarence D Vanderpool

Martin B MacInnis

Tai K Kim

James N Christini

John A Powers

A tungsten extraction process wherein tungsten values are extracted from an aqueous alkali metal tungstate solution by an organic solution containing an amine extractant wherein the organic solution consists essentially of from about 6% to about 10% by volume of said amine extractant, and the balance of said organic solution being an aromatic solvent consisting essentially of a mixture of alkyl benzenes wherein the alkyl benzenes have molecular weights of 120, 134, or 148 and the total number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chains attached to the benzene ring are either 3, 4, or 5, and thereafter the tungstate values are removed from the organic solution by stripping with aqueous ammonia, is improved by carrying out the stripping step in the aqueous continuous mode, and having as the stripping agent, an aqueous solution of ammonium metatungstate having a tungsten concentration which allows the strip solution to have a specific gravity of no greater than about 1.5, the stripping agent having sufficient ammonia to maintain the pH of the stripping agent at from about 5 to about 8, with the temperature of the stripping agent being no greater than room temperature.

Process for recovering tungsten from organic solutions

Heteropoly acids of tungsten and molybdenum, such as tungstosilicic acid and molybdosilicic acid, are produced by first preparing an aqueous solution of an alkali metal tungstate or molybdate and an alkali metal salt of the hetero atom, and then removing the alkali metal cations from the solution by means of a cation exchange membrane under the influence of an applied electrical potential, whereby the reactive tungstate or molybdate and hetero species anions react to form the desired heteropoly acid.

Preparation of heteropoly acids of tungsten and molybdenum

Ammonium tungstate, ammonium paratungstate, ammonium metatungstate or hydrated tungsten trioxide is produced by passing tungstate anions through an anion exchange membrane into an aqueous solution containing ammonium cations under the driving force of an electrical potential for a time sufficient to achieve a pH within the range in which the desired tungsten compound will form.

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Towanda, PA, United States of America

James C Patton, Jr