The present application relates to methods for the simultaneous leaching and extraction of precious metals. For example, the present application relates to methods of leaching and extracting gold and/or palladium from a substance comprising gold and/or palladium such as a gold and/or palladium-containing ore in one step using a compound of Formula I: (I)

The present application relates to methods for the simultaneous leaching and extraction of precious metals. For example, the present application relates to methods of leaching and extracting gold and/or palladium from a substance comprising gold and/or palladium such as a gold- and/or palladium-containing ore in one step using a compound of Formula I:(I). ##STR00001##

The present application relates to methods for leaching and extraction of precious metals. For example, the present application relates to methods of leaching gold, palladium and/or platinum from a substance comprising gold, palladium and/or platinum (such as a gold-containing ore or a platinum group metal (PGM) concentrate) using an organic solvent that is water-miscible or partially water-miscible.

The present application relates to methods for leaching and extraction of precious metals. For example, the present application relates to methods of leaching gold, palladium and/or platinum from a substance comprising gold, palladium and/or platinum (such as a gold-containing ore or a platinum group metal (PGM) concentrate) using an organic solvent that is water-miscible or partially water-miscible.

The present disclosure is directed to novel functionalized ionic liquids (ILs) that are used, for example, for enhanced recovery and separation of rare earth elements from aqueous solutions. The liquids and processes disclosed herein lead to greater separation efficiency, increased stability of separation materials, increased selectivity, and a reduced amount of waste materials.

Rare earth extractant compounds having the following structure:

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 are independently selected from alkyl groups containing 1-30 carbon atoms and optionally containing an ether or thioether linkage connecting between carbon atoms, provided that the total carbon atoms in R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 is at least 12; R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 are independently selected from hydrogen atom and alkyl groups containing 1-3 carbon atoms; and provided that at least one of the conditions (i)-(iv) apply as follows: presence of a distal branched group in at least one of R.sup.1-R.sup.4 (condition i), asymmetry in R.sup.1-R.sup.4 (condition ii), presence of amine-containing ring (condition iii), or presence of lactam ring (condition iv). Also described are hydrophobic water-insoluble solutions containing at least one extractant compound of Formula (1), as well as method for extracting rare earth elements from aqueous solution by contacting the aqueous solution with the water-insoluble solution.

A method for extracting a rare earth metal from a mixture of one or more rare earth metals, said method comprising contacting an acidic solution of the rare earth metal with a composition which comprises an ionic liquid to form an aqueous phase and a non-aqueous phase into which the rare earth metal has been selectively extracted, wherein the ionic liquid has the formula [Ca.sup.++][X′], where [X′] represents a phosphinate anion.

A method for extracting a rare earth metal from a mixture of one or more rare earth metals, said method comprising contacting an acidic solution of the rare earth metal with a composition which comprises an ionic liquid to form an aqueous phase and a non-aqueous phase into which the rare earth metal has been selectively extracted, wherein the ionic liquid has the formula [Ca.sup.++][X′], where [X′] represents a phosphinate anion.

The present disclosure is directed to novel functionalized ionic liquids (ILs) that are used, for example, for enhanced recovery and separation of rare earth elements from aqueous solutions. The liquids and processes disclosed herein lead to greater separation efficiency, increased stability of separation materials, increased selectivity, and a reduced amount of waste materials.

Methods for removing an oxyanion from an aqueous source containing said oxyanion, comprising contacting said aqueous source with an aqueous-insoluble hydrophobic solution containing an oxyanion extractant compound dissolved in an aqueous-insoluble hydrophobic solvent to result in formation of an oxyanion salt of said extractant compound and extraction of said oxyanion salt into said aqueous-insoluble hydrophobic solution, wherein said extraction results in an extraction affinity (D) of said oxyanion of at least 1, wherein D is the concentration ratio of said oxyanion in the organic phase divided by the concentration of said oxyanion in the aqueous phase; wherein said extractant compound has the following composition: ##STR00001##
wherein at least one of R.sup.1-R.sup.10 is or contains a hydrocarbon (R) group containing at least 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 carbon atoms.