An increase in purity of ammonium perrhenate solutions with respect to molybdenum(IV) with the sorption recovery of rhenium(VII) from Mo-containing solutions

The possibility of the additional purification of ammonia rhenium desorbates with respect to molybdenum in the course of the sorption recovery of rhenium from Mo-containing solutions with the help of Purolite A170 and Purolite A172 weak base anion-exchange resins is considered. The pH-dependence of sorption of Re(VII) and Mo(VI) on these anion-exchange resins is investigated in static conditions with the 1 M (NH₄)₂SO₄ background in the solution. It is shown that the range of pH, in which anion-exchange resins retain the ability to sorb Re(VII), is also spread to a weakly basic region. A substantial decrease in the adsorption of Re(VII) starts already with an increase in pH above 7.5. The capacity of anion-exchange resins with respect to Mo(VI) starts to decrease noticeably with an increase in pH of solutions above 5.0, and molybdenum almost ceases to sorb by both anion-exchange resins upon reaching pH ~ 7.0. In order to decrease the Mo(VI) content in rhenium desorbates with the sorption recovery of Re(VII) from Mo-containing solutions on weak base anion-exchange resins, the following flowsheet is suggested. Initially, the main amount of sorbed Mo(VI) is desorbed by contacting the saturated anion-exchange resin with the ammonium sulfate solution upon mixture stirring and holding constant pH of the solution in limits of 7.0–7.5 due to the addition of dosed amounts of ammonia solution. Then anion-exchange resin is separated from the ammonium sulfate solution containing Mo(VI), washed with water, and Re(VII) is desorbed by ammonium solution in dynamic conditions. The verification of the proposed method for the resins saturated by sorption from the model solution of the composition, g/L, 98 H₂SO₄, 4 Mo(VI), and 0.5 Re(VII) showed the occurrence of desorption of no less than 90% sorbed molybdenum during the treatment of anion-exchange resins with ammonium sulfate solution. Herewith, concentration ratio Re(VII) : Mo(VI) in ammoniacal rhenium desorbates when using A170 anion-exchange resin increases 11-fold and when using A172 anion-exchange resin, it increases 20-fold compared with that attained without the additional washing of Mo(VI). Losses of Re(VII) with the Mo-containing desorbate (reversible) do not exceed 5.2% of the amount of sorbed Re(VII).