Separation of Molybdenum from Tungstate Solution-Scavenging Thiomolybdate by Copper Compound

Molybdenum is frequently associated with tungsten in mineral deposits, and their chemical properties are quite similar. Therefore, for many years, removal of impurity molybdenum from tungsten has been a worldwide technical problem. In this work, a separation process was investigated with the use of copper-bearing materials as the scavenging agents. Various conditions involved in the effects of different copper-bearing materials, dosage of scavenging agents, reaction time, and temperature were studied in detail. It was found that thiomolybdate can be selectively precipitated from tungstate solution by all the scavenging agents, especially when using nascent copper sulfide. Removal of thiomlybdate can reach 99.45 pct under optimum condition. Nascent CuS is an economic and efficient reagent for removing Mo from tungstate solution. DOI: 10.1007/s11663-012-9743-2 (C) The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 2012