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PREPARATION OF PURE OXIDES OF NIOBIUM AND TANTALUM FROM INDIAN COLUMBITE AND TANTALITE

Journal Article · · Indian J. Tech.
OSTI ID:4070331
A promising solvent extraction procedure, employing cyclohexanone or methyl n-propyl ketone, was developed for the preparation of niobium and tantalum oxides of more than 99.9% purity from Indian columbite. The procedure involves the opening of the mineral by alkali fusion followed by washing and leaching with hydrochloric acid to obtain a mixture of hydrous oxides of niobium and tantalum. The air-dried oxides are dissolved in 40% hydrofluoric acid in the cold and necessary amount of hydrochloric acid added to adjust the acidity of the solution, which is then subjected to solvent extraction, when tantalum goes into the organic phase and niobium remains in the aqueous phase. The oxides are precipitated with ammonia and ignited. Good separations with respect to yield and purity of oxides are achieved by maintaining the acidity of the solutions at 0.5N and the solute concentration (wt/vol) at ca 10% in the case of cyclohexanone and 20% in the case of methyl n-propyl ketone. (auth)
Research Organization:
National Chemical Lab., Poona, India
NSA Number:
NSA-18-010188
OSTI ID:
4070331
Journal Information:
Indian J. Tech., Journal Name: Indian J. Tech. Vol. Vol: 1
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English