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Solvent Extraction in Precious Metals Refining

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Abstract

Solvent extraction based refining processes for precious metals undoubtedly offer several advantages over the traditional precipitation methods. Thus, their usage by industry is expected to become standard practice. This paper breifly reviews the pertinent chemistry and the current commercial processes which apply solvent extraction techniques to the refining of precious metals. Solvent extraction processes currently employed by three precious metals refiners are presented. A recently developed solvent extraction process which uses alkylated derivatives of 8-hydroxyquinoline as the basis for the separation of precious metals is briefly discussed.

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Authors
  1. G. P. Demopoulos
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G.P. Demopoulos received his Ph.D. in metallurgical engineering from McGill University in 1982. He is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Mining and Metallurgica Engineering at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Dr. Demopoulos is also a member of TMS.

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Demopoulos, G.P. Solvent Extraction in Precious Metals Refining. JOM 38, 13–17 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03257809

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