Method for the recovery of acids from hydrometallurgy process solutions

Abstract

A method for the recovery of acids and other materials from hydrometallurgic process solutions comprising processing said solutions utilizing a simulated moving bed chromatographic method to produce at least two product streams.

1 . A method for the recovery of acid and/or metals from an acid and metal salt solution comprising: 
 feeding a feed solution comprising an acid and metal salt solution to a simulated moving bed process in a system comprising one or more columns or beds containing a resin; and    producing at least a first product stream and a second product stream from said simulated moving bed process, wherein said first product stream comprises a higher concentration of said acid than said second product stream.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said feed solution comprises one or more acids selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid and phosphoric acid.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said simulated moving bed (SMB) process is selected from the group consisting of continuous SMB, semi-continuous SMB, time variable SMB, sequential SMB, and pulsed SMB.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said simulated moving bed process comprises an aqueous eluent.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein said eluent comprises less than 5% dissolved components.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said feed solution is filtered prior to feeding to the simulated moving bed process.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising utilizing an anion resin in said simulated moving bed process.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the anion resin is a weak base anion resin.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the anion resin is a strong base anion resin.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the anion resin is a type I anion resin.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the anion resin is a type II anion resin.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said product streams is subjected to further processing in a separate system by one or more methods selected from the group consisting of chromatography, filtration, membrane treatment, evaporation, distillation, drying, gas absorption, solvent extraction, press extraction, adsorption, ion exchange and centrifugation.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising recycling at least one of the at least a first product stream and a second product stream for re-use in a process producing the feed solution comprising an acid and metal solution.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 monitoring conductivity of the metal salts in the simulated moving bed process; and    adjusting the production of the at least first product stream so that the first product stream exhibits a minimum conductivity.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein monitoring the conductivity of the metal salts in the simulated moving bed process comprises monitoring a recirculation stream in the simulated moving bed process.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein adjusting the production of the at least first product stream comprises adjusting a flow rate of a recirculation stream in the simulated moving bed process.  
     
     
         17 . A method for the recovery of acid and/or metals from an acid and metal salt solution comprising: 
 providing a simulated moving bed process for chromatographically separating different components, in which at least one bed having a resin comprises multiple separating sections with inlets and outlets connected in a loop so that a circulating liquid moves in sequence through the separating sections while process input streams are cyclically introduced in corresponding sequence to the loop at selected locations associated with the separating sections, and compensating product output streams are withdrawn in similarly corresponding sequence from the loop at other selected locations associated with the separating sections, all while maintaining a forward flow in a fixed direction through the loop during a plurality of steps, each of the step commencing with the shifting of the input and output streams downstream in the loop;    feeding a feed solution input stream to the simulated moving bed process, wherein the feed solution comprises an acid and a metal salt; and    producing at least a first product output stream and a second product output stream from said simulated moving bed process, wherein said first product output stream comprises a higher concentration of said acid than said second product output stream.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said feed solution comprises one or more acids selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid and phosphoric acid.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said simulated moving bed process (SMB) is selected from the group consisting of continuous SMB, semi-continuous SMB, time variable SMB, sequential SMB, and pulsed SMB.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said simulated moving bed process comprises introducing an aqueous eluent as a process input stream.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein said aqueous eluent comprises less than 5% dissolved components.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 17 , comprising filtering the feed solution prior to feeding the feed solution input stream to the simulated moving bed process.  
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the resin comprises an anion resin.  
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the anion resin is a weak base anion resin.  
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the anion resin is a strong base anion resin.  
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the anion resin is a type I anion resin.  
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the anion resin is a type II anion resin.  
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 17 , comprising further processing at least one of said product output streams in a separate system, wherein the processing comprises one or more processes selected from the group consisting of chromatography, filtration, membrane treatment, evaporation, distillation, drying, gas absorption, solvent extraction, press extraction, adsorption, ion exchange and centrifugation.  
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 17 , comprising recycling at least one of the at least a first product stream and a second product stream for re-use in a process producing the feed solution.  
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 monitoring conductivity of the metal salts in the simulated moving bed process; and    adjusting the production of the at least first product stream so that the first product stream exhibits a minimum conductivity.    
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein monitoring the conductivity of the metal salts in the simulated moving bed process comprises monitoring the recirculation stream in the simulated moving bed process.  
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein adjusting the production of the at least first product stream comprises adjusting a flow rate of a recirculation stream in the simulated moving bed process.