EFFECTIVE SIMULTANEOUS SEPARATION OF COPPER (II) AND MOLYBDENUM (VI) FROM RHENIUM (VII) BY ADSORPTION ON X- ALUMINA

ABSTRACT

For the first time, χ-Al₂O₃ was investigated as a sorbent for the simultaneous separation of copper and molybdenum from rhenium. This work finds the optimal conditions of the process. In an acetate buffer solution with a pH of 5.5 under the action of ultrasound for 30 min, the Langmuir adsorption capacity for copper and molybdenum on this sorbent was 46 mg⋅g⁻¹ and 44 mg⋅g⁻¹, respectively, rhenium remained in the solution. The adsorption corresponded to the pseudo-second-order kinetics model. It has been shown that under the indicated conditions, over 80% of molybdenum and 95% of copper can be removed from synthetic solutions containing 100- and 1000-fold mass excess of copper and molybdenum. In nitric acid or sulfuric acid solutions, the same results can be achieved at a pH of 2.5–3.0. It was found that the recovery of rhenium by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry after matrix separation was improved; on average, a threefold reduction in the relative standard deviation (n = 5) was achieved. The mechanism of adsorption of Cu, Re, and Mo ions on the surface of χ-Al₂O₃ was proposed, based on the interaction of ions with an electric double layer of sorbent particles.

KEYWORDS:

• Adsorption
• alumina
• Re (VII)
• matrix separation
• Cu (II)
• Mo (VI)

Acknowledgements

This work was carried out on the basis of the State Assignment of the IMET UB RAS within the framework of the Fundamental Research Program of state academies, using equipment of Collective center Ural-M.

Additional information

Funding

This work was carried out on the basis of the State Assignment of the IMET UB RAS within the framework of the Fundamental Research Program of state academies.