Use of Zeolite Rocks in Metal Recovery from Mine Water

Abstract

Mine water at some mineral deposits in Transbaikalia contains valued metals commercially recoverable from solutions using zeolite rocks. Experimental impregnation of metal-bearing mine water from Sherlovaya Gora and Bom-Gorphon areas with sodium and ammonium kinds of clinoptilolite rocks from shivyrtuin deposit has been carried out. In the laboratory conditions, metals adsorbed by zeolite rocks are extracted by means of displacement by concentrated ammonium salts with further calcinations of the filtrate up to 500 °С. The metal content of the obtained cakes is conditioned by metal concentrations in solutions, by methods of impregnation and by the eluents applied. Saturation of ammonium types of zeolites with mine water solutions from the Sherlovaya Gora lake and further extraction of adsorbed metals by ammonium acetate yields the recovery of lantanoids of 73%. The obtained results, considering multiple recycling of the sorbent, can be used in development of an efficient technology for extraction of rare earth elements from mine solutions.