Abstract: A method for the removal of soluble tellurium compounds from vicinal glycol ester solutions, prepared with tellurium-halide ion catalyst systems, by diluting the tellurium-containing vicinal glycol ester solution with water and contacting said glycol-water solution with a strongly acidic sulfonated ion exchange resin leaving an essentially tellurium-free vicinal glycol ester reaction product which may then be processed to recover the desired ester product and by-products without loss of valuable tellurium. The tellurium may be recovered from the ion exchange resin and treated to recover tellurium in a form suitable for reuse.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of tellurium compounds which have been retained on a strongly acidic sulfonated ion exchange resin employed to remove soluble tellurium compounds from tellurium-containing vicinal glycol ester solutions, by elution of the resin with dilute mineral acids, such as hydrochloric, to form a tellurium-containing acid eluate and treating the eluate by stripping or distilling to remove contained water and acid leaving a tellurium compound concentrate which may be treated in the presence of air or oxygen to convert the tellurium to a form suitable for reuse in the preparation of vicinal glycol esters.