Rotating annular chromatograph for continuous metal separations and recovery

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:6855728

Begovich, J M; Sisson, W G

Multicomponent liquid chromatographic separations have been achieved by using a slowly rotating annular bed of sorbent material. By continuously introducing the feed material to be separated at a stationary point at the top of the bed and eluent everywhere else around the annulus, elution chromatography occurs. The rotation of the sorbent bed causes the separated components to appear as helical bands, each of which has a characteristic, stationary exit point; hence, the separation process is truly continuous. The concept has been developed primarily on a 279-mm-diam by 0.6-m-long device with a 12.7-mm-wide annulus. The effect of annulus width and diameter has recently been studied using the same device with a 50.8-mm-wide annulus and another 0.6-m-long chromatograph with an 89-mm diameter and annulus widths of 6.4, 12.7, and 22.2 mm. These columns have been constructed of Plexiglas and typically operate at a gauge pressure of 175 kPa. To further study the effect of size and pressure, a new 445-mm-diam by 1-m-long column with a 31.8-mm-wide annulus has been fabricated. Its metal construction allows preparative-scale operation with a wide variety of liquids at pressures to 1.3 MPa. Three metal recovery systems have been explored: (1) separation of iron and aluminum in ammonium sulfate-sulfuric acid solutions; (2) separation of hafnium from zirconium in sulfuric acid solutions; and (3) the separation of copper, nickel, and cobalt in ammonium carbonate solutions. This last system simulates the leach liquor of the Caron process for recovering nickel and cobalt from laterite ores. It has been studied, using similar conditions, on each of the chromatographs, and the results demonstrate the effect of column dimensions on the quality and quantity of the separation. 8 figures, 1 table.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6855728
• Report Number(s): CONF-8110137-3; ON: DE83001928
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400105* -- Separation Procedures
ALUMINIUM
AMMONIUM CARBONATES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COBALT
COPPER
DATA
DESIGN
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXTRACTION APPARATUSES
EXTRACTION COLUMNS
HAFNIUM
INFORMATION
IRON
LIQUID COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY
METALS
NICKEL
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ZIRCONIUM