Recovery of Scandium from Sulfuric Acid Aqueous Solutions using Ion-Exchange Resin

Abstract

Ion-exchange process with chelating resins was investigated for recovery scandium from sulfuric acid aqueous solutions. An iminodiacetic acid type chelating resin, Diaion CR11, had a higher Sc adsorption selectivity than other elements. Diaion CR11 had high trivalent ions adsorption, and almost divalent ions other than nickel were not adsorbed. The adsorbed metal ions were eluted with sulfuric acid, and scandium was separated from aluminum, nickel and chromium. Only iron (III) showed a behavior similar to scandium and was difficult to separate with Diaion CR11. The elution behavior was related to the stability constants of the complex of iminodiacetic acid and metal ions.

Keywords

• scandium
• ion-exchange
• chelating resin
• absorption
• elution
• stability constant