Cytec Technology Corporation

Ici Americas, Inc.

Peter Eric Tetlow

John Campbell

Owen Stewart Tinkler

Keith Alan Cramer

Charles J Maes

James N Greenshields

Processes for improving copper/iron selectivity in a solvent extraction circuit by contacting an acidic aqueous solution containing dissolved copper and iron ions with a solvent extraction composition including an orthohydroxyaryloxime, a selectivity modifier, and an equilibrium modifier, wherein the ratio of selectivity modifier to orthohydroxyaryloxime is from 0.001 to 0.05, thereby decreasing the copper:iron transfer ratio, are provided herein.

Modification of copper/iron selectivity in copper solvent extraction systems

A solvent extraction composition comprising one or more orthohydroxyarylaldoximes and/or one or more orthohydroxyarylketoximes, and one or more selectivity modifiers consisting of phosphinic and/or phosphonic acids, and salts and esters therefore and optionally one or more equilibrium modifiers is provided.

A metal extraction process in which an aqueous leach solution containing metal values is contacted with a solution, in a water-immiscible organic solvent, of an extracting agent where the aqueous leach solution contains a wetting agent in a concentration of not more than 0.1% by weight. Wetting agents which may be used include alkoxylated alcohols or phenols, especially alcohols condensed with both ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, and ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide block copolymers. The wetting agent can be present at a concentration of 0.00001% w/v or less. The presence of the wetting agent may reduce the build up of solid as crud and/or may reduce entrainment of one phase in the other.

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Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Peter Eric Tetlow