Abstract: A method is provided for the hydrometallurgical recovery of metal values from sources containing more than one metal of antimony, lead, copper, zinc, bismuth, tin, cadmium and other metals by leaching the metal containing source with a ferric fluoborate/fluroboric acid solution to provide a leachant metal containing solution. The leachant solution is contacted with specific organic extractants such as an organophosphoric acid ester, an alkyl salicylaldoxime and an amidobis(thiophosphoryl) compound in a series of extraction steps to separate metals based on the extractant used. The organic extractant solution is stripped of the extracted metal(s) and the metal(s) recovered. The remaining leach solution after extraction being either further treated to extract other metals or processed to provide metal values contained therein.

Abstract: Bismuth impurity is removed from copper electrolyte by contacting the electrolyte with an effective amount of finely divided lead oxide.