Occidental Chemical Corporation

Hooker Chemicals & Plastics Corporation

Joseph S Wisnouskas

Mohan Singh Saran

John A Peterson

Joseph J Moritz

Harry E Buckholtz

Roland Ho

A dry differential flotation reagent for molybdenum-bearing ore is disclosed comprising from about 1 to about 30 percent by weight of NaSH, 0 to 20 percent by weight of NaOH, 60 to 90 percent by weight of a mixture of sodium thiophosphates comprising, as major components thereof, Na.sub.3 PS.sub.4, Na.sub.3 PS.sub.3 O, Na.sub.3 PS.sub.2 O.sub.2, and Na.sub.3 PO.sub.3 S, with Na.sub.3 PS.sub.4 further comprising from about 15 mole percent to about 70 mole percent of phosphate mixture. The flotation reagent can be prepared by reacting P.sub.4 S.sub.10 with NaOH and NaSH in a molar ratio of about 1:16. When added to a flotation vessel containing molybdenum concentrate, the flotation reagent promotes suppression of lead and copper sulfides, even without the addition of sodium cyanide, to permit the improved recovery of molybdenum with a lower level of impurities.

Differential flotation reagent for molybdenum separation

A dry differential flotation reagent for molybdenum-bearing ore is disclosed comprising from about 1 to about 30 percent by weight of NaSH, 0 to 20 percent by weight of NaOH, 60 to 90 percent by weight of a mixture of sodium thiophosphates comprising, as major components thereof, Na.sub.3 PS.sub.4, Na.sub.3 PS.sub.3 O, Na.sub.3 PS.sub.2 O.sub.2, and Na.sub.3 PO.sub.3 S, with Na.sub.3 PS.sub.4 further comprising from about 15 mole percent to about 70 mole percent of the phosphate mixture. The flotation reagent can be prepared by reacting P.sub.4 S.sub.10 with NaOH and NaSH in a molar ratio of about 1:16. When added to a flotation vessel containing molybdenum concentrate, the flotation reagent promotes suppression of lead and copper sulfides, even without the addition of sodium cyanide, to permit the improved recovery of molybdenum with a lower level of impurities.

Differential flotation reagent and method of preparation

An improved process is provided for preparing highly purified phosphorus acid from industrial waste materials which are produced as by-products from the manufacture of sodium hypophosphite. Such industrial waste materials contain substantial quantities of calcium phosphite, and appreciable quantities of various metals such as iron, magnesium, aluminum and arsenic. The process of the present invention comprises, in a preferred embodiment thereof, reacting a slurry of said waste materials with sodium carbonate to produce calcium carbonate as a precipitate and a solution of sodium phosphite. The sodium phosphite solution is then passed through a cation ion exchange resin in the hydrogen form to produce a highly purified phosphorus acid product having significantly reduced quantities of metallic impurities.

Process for preparing phosphorus acid from industrial waste materials

A process for the purification of crude thionyl chloride wherein the crude thionyl chloride is distilled in the presence of sulfur and a sulfur-aluminum chloride catalyst to convert the impurities, sulfuryl chloride and sulfur dichloride and remove them from the distillate of thionyl chloride. The thionyl chloride collected will contain less than 0.01% sulfuryl chloride, less than 0.1% sulfur monochloride and less than 0.01% sulfur dichloride.

Purification of thionyl chloride

The process disclosed in this invention takes the waste solids, gases, and water from a phosphorus pentasulfide manufacturing facility and hydrolyzes the phosphorus pentasulfide by heating. The phosphorus portion is converted to a soluble phosphate and the sulfur portion to a mixture of sulfide, sulfite and sulfate. The soluble fraction is then treated with a calcium hydroxide solution precipitating the phosphate and sulfates which are removed. The gaseous portion of the hydrolysis is fed to a catalytic oxidizer which converts the sulfides to sulfur, which is removed and the gas, free of sulfur containing species, is exhausted to the atmosphere. The filtrate from the precipitation reaction can be recycled to the plant, or may be chlorinated and discharged.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Island, NY, United States of America

Joseph S Wisnouskas