Methods of isolating tungsten and, in particular, methods of separating tungsten and vanadium are described herein. The methods can generally comprise treating a tungsten-containing material in aqueous solution with a reducing agent suitable for the reduction of pentavalent vanadium to one or more lower oxidation states of vanadium, such that the tungsten can be more readily separated from the vanadium, e.g., via solvent extraction. In certain embodiments, the methods disclosed herein can provide tungsten, vanadium, or both tungsten and vanadium in sufficient purities for commercial use.

A method for separating an amount of osmium from a mixture containing the osmium and at least one other additional metal is provided. In particular, method for forming and trapping OsO.sub.4 to separate the osmium from a mixture containing the osmium and at least one other additional metal is provided.

A method for separating an amount of osmium from a mixture containing the osmium and at least one other additional metal is provided. In particular, method for forming and trapping OsO.sub.4 to separate the osmium from a mixture containing the osmium and at least one other additional metal is provided.

The invention provides a method for the production of a metal, the method comprising the steps of mixing an oxide of the metal with a reducing agent comprising a Group II metal or a hydride thereof in the presence of water and/or an organic solvent, heating the mixture of oxide and reducing agent, leaching the resulting material with water; and washing the leached material with a dilute aqueous acid. Typically, the metal is a transition or rare earth metal, the oxide of the metal is an oxide of a transition or rare earth metal, and the reducing agent is selected from calcium or magnesium or the hydrides of calcium and magnesium. The metal is generally obtained at a purity of around 98.5-99.1%, and the method is much quicker than the methods of the prior art and has a much lower carbon footprint, thereby providing an option which is more sustainable, environmentally friendly, and accommodative for industries. Particularly good results are observed in the production of transition metals such as titanium, tantalum and niobium.

The invention provides a method for the production of a metal, the method comprising the steps of mixing an oxide of the metal with a reducing agent comprising a Group II metal or a hydride thereof in the presence of water and/or an organic solvent, heating the mixture of oxide and reducing agent, leaching the resulting material with water; and washing the leached material with a dilute aqueous acid. Typically, the metal is a transition or rare earth metal, the oxide of the metal is an oxide of a transition or rare earth metal, and the reducing agent is selected from calcium or magnesium or the hydrides of calcium and magnesium. The metal is generally obtained at a purity of around 98.5-99.1%, and the method is much quicker than the methods of the prior art and has a much lower carbon footprint, thereby providing an option which is more sustainable, environmentally friendly, and accommodative for industries. Particularly good results are observed in the production of transition metals such as titanium, tantalum and niobium.

Provided is a method for preparing rutile from acid-soluble titanium slag, including: grinding acid-soluble titanium slag; adding a sodium carbonate modifier, and performing microwave irradiation treatment in a microwave device; adding an ammonium bifluoride additive; and performing acid purification and calcination to obtain rutile. By means of a microwave heating mode, the equipment investment needed by the method is low, and the energy consumption is low. The purity of artificial rutile is more than 91%, byproducts are fewer, and the environmental pollution is low.

A process for recovering metal from a process material comprising the metal and a component that is more volatile than the metal, which process comprises: transporting the process material in a retort provided in a furnace, the retort being operated under vacuum and at a temperature sufficient to cause sublimation of the component from the process material thereby producing purified metal; depositing the component that has been sublimed on a cool surface; removing purified metal from the retort; and removing deposited component from the cool surface.

A process for recovering metal from a process material comprising the metal and a component that is more volatile than the metal, which process comprises: transporting the process material in a retort provided in a furnace, the retort being operated under vacuum and at a temperature sufficient to cause sublimation of the component from the process material thereby producing purified metal; depositing the component that has been sublimed on a cool surface; removing purified metal from the retort; and removing deposited component from the cool surface.

Provided are: an extractant which is capable of quickly and highly efficiently extracting zirconium from an acidic solution that is obtained by acid leaching a material containing zirconium and scandium such as an SOFC electrode material; and a method for extracting zirconium, which uses this extractant. A zirconium extractant according to the present invention is composed of an amide derivative represented by general formula (I). In the formula, R1 and R2 respectively represent the same or different alkyl groups, each of which may be linear or branched; R3 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group; and R4 represents a hydrogen atom or an arbitrary group other than an amino group, said arbitrary group being bonded, as an amino acid, to the carbon.

The present disclosure provides an isolated Thiomonas isabelensis (ECOAU001) strain deposited at the Agricultural Research Service Culture Collection under the Accession number NRRL No. B-67995 according to the Budapest Treaty. The disclosed newly discovered bacterial strain is useful in precious metal extraction, production, and amplification. In particular, the present disclosure is directed to a novel microorganism useful to extract, produce and/or amplify precious metals and/or rare earth metals from an environmental substrate that it is cultured in.