Extraction of Mo (VI) with tertiary amines in a solid-supported liquid membrane reactor

Abstract

This communication describes the application of a hollow-fiber-type solid supported liquid membrane technique to the study of recovery and enrichment of molybdenum with Alamine 336 (a long chain tertiary amine) from acid leach residual solution of molybdenite concentrate. It was observed a notorious transport and enrichment of molybdenum ions from feed solution towards receiving strip liquor. The transport of molybdenum through the membrane was greatly influenced by the amine concentration in the organic film and by the addition of a certain amount of NH4NO3 into the stripping agent. Alamine presented a high affinity for Mo(VI) practically being not observed coextraction of all contaminant ions. The transport of metal through the membrane corresponds to a mechanism of mass transfer with chemical reaction, controlled by the extraction reaction of ionic species of molybdenum with the amine salt of Alamine "carrier" via anion exchange. However it is possible to indicate that under certain conditions, the Mo(VI) ions permeation through the organic membrane is expected be a diffusion-controlled process based on metal concentration gradients at both side of membrane.

The results communicated in this report confirm the practical feasibility of recovery and enrichment of metals in this extractor using impregnated hollow-fibers-type liquid membranes.