HYDROMETALLURGICAL PROCESSING OF METAL-BEARING ORES APPEARS TO BE A POTENTIAL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE DECLINING GRADE OF DOMESTIC ORES, INCREASED ENERGY COSTS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.

HYDROMETALLURGICAL PROCESSING OF METAL-BEARING ORES APPEARS TO BE A POTENTIAL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE DECLINING GRADE OF DOMESTIC ORES, INCREASED ENERGY COSTS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. HOWEVER, A KEY COST ELEMENT IN ANY HYDROMETALLURGICAL PROCESS IS THE SEPARATION AND CONCENTRATION OF THE METAL IONS IN THE HYDROMETALLURGICAL LEACH SOLUTION. THIS STEP MUST BE IMPROVED BEFORE MANY DOMESTIC ORES CAN BE ECONOMICALLY EXPLOITED. SOLVENT EXTRACTION USING LIQUID ION EXCHANGE REAGENTS IS A WIDELY USED METHOD OF TREATING THESE HYDROMETALLURGICAL SOLUTIONS. WE PROPOSE TO MICROENCAPSULATE THESE REAGENTS. THESE MICROENCAPSULATED REAGENTS ALLOW A NUMBER OF INNOVATIONS TO BE MADE IN SOLVENT EXTRACTION PROCESSES. COST REDUCTIONS BECAUSE OF THE LOWER ION EXCHANGE REAGENT INVENTORY, LOWER EQUIPMENT COSTS, REDUCED ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN EMULSIFYING AND DEEMULSIFYING THE REAGENT, ELIMINATION OF FEED SOLUTION PREFILTRATION AND CLARIFICATION OPERATIONS, AND REDUCED REAGENT LOSS WITH THE AQUEOUS RAFFINATE SOLUTION COULD BE ACHIEVED WITH THESE REAGENTS.