Abstract: The present invention relates to a process and plant for treating feed water containing nitrate. The process includes, sorbing nitrate from the feed water onto an ion exchange resin to form a loaded resin and produce a treated water stream depleted in nitrate, regenerating the loaded resin so that the resin can be reused and produce a brine stream high in nitrate; and converting nitrate in the brine stream into molecular nitrogen gas with the assistance of a bioactive agent.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process, method and plant for recovering scandium and ions containing scandium using an ion exchange resin from a feed stream. The feed stream may be, but is by no means limited to, a leach liquor or leach pulp.

Abstract: A process for removing suspended particles and at least one ionic species from a feed water stream to produce a product water stream, the process includes the steps of forming agglomerates of the suspended particles in the feed water stream; passing the feed water stream containing agglomerated particles through a bed of particulate sorbent material so as to sorb the ionic species from the feed water onto the sorbent to provide a loaded sorbent and filter the agglomerated particles from the feed water using the bed of particulate sorbent material as a filtration medium to load the bed with the agglomerated particles, and thereby produce the product water stream; removing the filtered particles and the ionic species from the filtration medium; and re-using the regenerated sorbent in step b).

Abstract: The invention discloses a method for recovering uranium from an acidic leach solution or leach pulp in salt water using an amino-phosphorus resin, wherein the liquid phase of the leach solution or leach pulp contains greater than 3 g/L chloride ion in solution. The resin may comprise a functional group comprising an amino phosphonic group, an amino-phosphinic group, an amino phosphoric functional group and/or a combination thereof. According to the invention the leach solution or leach pulp may be generated by in-situ leaching, vat leaching, heap leaching and/or agitated leaching at ambient, elevated temperature and/or elevated pressure conditions in saline or hyper-saline water.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process, method and plant for recovering scandium and ions containing scandium using an ion exchange resin from a feed stream. The feed stream may be, but is by no means limited to, a leach liquor or leach pulp.

Abstract: A process for removing suspended particles and at least one ionic species from a feed water stream to produce a product water stream, the process includes the steps of forming agglomerates of the suspended particles in the feed water stream; passing the feed water stream containing agglomerated particles through a bed of particulate sorbent material so as to sorb the ionic species from the feed water onto the sorbent to provide a loaded sorbent and filter the agglomerated particles from the feed water using the bed of particulate sorbent material as a filtration medium to load the bed with the agglomerated particles, and thereby produce the product water stream; removing the filtered particles and the ionic species from the filtration medium; and re-using the regenerated sorbent in step b).

Abstract: The invention discloses a method for recovering uranium from an acidic leach solution or leach pulp in salt water using an amino-phosphorus resin, wherein the liquid phase of the leach solution or leach pulp contains greater than 3 g/L chloride ion in solution. The resin may comprise a functional group comprising an amino phosphonic group, an amino-phosphinic group, an amino phosphoric functional group and/or a combination thereof. According to the invention the leach solution or leach pulp may be generated by in-situ leaching, vat leaching, heap leaching and/or agitated leaching at ambient, elevated temperature and/or elevated pressure conditions in saline or hyper-saline water.

Abstract: A water treatment process for substantially removing one or more ionic species from a feed water includes an ion containing aqueous solution to produce a treated water product, the process including: (a) a sorption step, including contacting a solid sorbent with said feed water to produce a solution depleted in said one or more ionic species and a loaded sorbent; (b) a concentrating step, includes concentrating an inlet stream including the ionic species depleted solution to produce a concentrate rich in said one or more ionic species and said treated water product; and (c) a desorbing step, including contacting said loaded sorbent with an aqueous desorbant including said concentrate to thereby desorb at least some of said one or more ionic species from said loaded sorbent.

Abstract: A process for hydro-extracting non-ferrous metals from a slurry, pulp or solution, the process including a resin which is a copolymer of a polystyrene and a non-styrenic polymer, wherein the non-styrenic polymer includes the following subunit: Formula (I) wherein Rb is a divalent linking group, preferably alkylene, and most preferably (—CH2—CH2—; and Rd is NH, NR, O or absent. Preferably the resin has an acrylic backbone.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the continuous countercurrent desorption of targeted materials including metals, non-metals and inorganic and/or organic compounds of thereof, wherein the desorption method is divided to the two modes namely: (I) desorption and (II) re-absorption. The desorption of the target material from the loaded resin using the fresh desorbent takes place in mode (I). According to mode (I) loaded resin moves upwardly in a chamber. According to mode (II) impurities are desorbed from resin and targeted material in solution can be re-absorbed. The resin moves downwardly in another chamber during mode (II). Concentrated eluates, which are suitable for the direct economical recovery of chemical elements and/or compounds thereof, can be produced using the present invention. The apparatus of the present invention includes desorption and re-absorption zones that are configured using a “pipe-in-pipe” construction or a U-shape construction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a resin which is a copolymer of a polystyrene and a non-styrenic polymer, wherein the non-styrenic polymer includes the following subunit: Formula (I) wherein Rb is a divalent linking group, preferably alkylene, and most preferably (—CH2—CH2—; and Rd is NH, NR, O or absent. Preferably the resin has an acrylic backbone.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the continuous countercurrent desorption of targeted materials including metals, non-metals and inorganic and/or organic compounds of thereof, wherein the desorption method is divided to the two modes namely: (I) desorption and (II) re-absorption. The desorption of the target material from the loaded resin using the fresh desorbent takes place in mode (I). According to mode (I) loaded resin moves upwardly in a chamber. According to mode (II) impurities are desorbed from resin and targeted material in solution can be re-absorbed. The resin moves downwardly in another chamber during mode (II). Concentrated eluates, which are suitable for the direct economical recovery of chemical elements and/or compounds thereof, can be produced using the present invention. The apparatus of the present invention includes desorption and re-absorption zones that are configured using a “pipe-in-pipe” construction or a U-shape construction.

Abstract: A process is provided for the direct recovery of non-ferrous metals (nickel, cobalt, copper etc) from raw materials such as ores, concentrates, semiproducts and/or solutions by ion exchange. A non-ferrous ore or concentrate is leached with a mineral acid to dissolve the metals. The pH of the resulting leach slurry is adjusted to 1.0-5.0 using some alkaline agents as limestone, sodium hydroxide etc. Non-ferrous metals are absorbed from this leach slurry with ion-exchange resin, which selectively loads the non-ferrous metals and has the structure: wherein the ratio of N : M : P : R is within the ranges of 3-4: 64-70:25-30:2-2.5 The loaded resin is separated from the exhausted leach slurry. The loaded sorbent is stripped with an acidic or ammonia-ammonium carbonate solution. The stripped resin is returned to the loading cycle. The non-ferrous metal can be recovered in substantially pure from the eluate by some known processes. The metal-depleted slurry proceeds to waste treatement and disposal.