Asarco LLC

Neil Nebeker

Charles R Marston

Matthew Lawrence Rodgers

Method for rhenium recovery from copper solvent extraction solution. It is determined whether the copper solvent extraction solution contains trace amounts of rhenium. If so, a feedstock from the copper solvent extraction solution is provided, which is then filtered, producing filtered feedstock. Trace amounts of rhenium are absorbed from the filtered feedstock using a supply of ion exchange resin selective for rhenium. The ion exchange resin is washed. Trace amounts of rhenium are eluted from the ion exchange resin using a first amount of eluent, a second amount of eluent and a third amount of eluent. The first amount and the third amount of eluent produce supplemental feedstock and the second amount of eluent produces rhenium eluate. The rhenium eluate is collected and the ion exchange resin is protonated.

Rhenium recovery

A method for extracting cobalt from copper raffinate. First, a supply of raffinate containing at least cobalt, copper, ferric iron and nickel, is provided. The raffinate is pretreated by one or all of raising the raffinate pH level; removing solids; and, reducing ferric iron to ferrous iron. Substantially all copper is removed using first ion exchange resin selective for copper. A second ion exchange resin selective for both cobalt and nickel is used to remove the cobalt and nickel. Cobalt and nickel are separately eluted from the second ion exchange resin.

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Hayden, AZ, United States of America

Neil Nebeker