Disclosed herein are extraction chromatographic supports comprising a porous support, an inert filler, and metal ion binding extractant that may be used for chromatographic separation of metal ions. Also disclosed herein are methods for preparing and using the extraction chromatographic supports.

A method for more accurately analyzing the content of a metal impurity in a liquid (ultrapure water) containing a low concentration of the metal impurity includes: passing the liquid through an ion exchanger; eluting and recovering the metal impurity captured in the ion exchanger with an eluent; and analyzing the eluent containing the eluted metal impurity and measuring the content of the metal impurity in the eluent, wherein the ion exchanger is used by connecting multiple ion exchangers of the same ion type in series, the volume of the porous ion exchangers per unit is 0.5 to 5.0 ml, and the differential pressure coefficient is 0.01 MPa/LV/m or less.

A composite extractant-enhanced polymer resin comprising an extractant and a polymer resin for direct extraction of valuable metals such as rare earth metals, and more specifically, scandium, from an acid-leaching slurry and/or acid-leaching solution in which ferric ions are not required to be reduced into ferrous ions. The extractant may be cationic, non-ionic, or anionic. More specifically, the extractant di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid may be used. The polymer resin may be non-functional or have functional groups of sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, iminodiacetic acid, phosphoric acid, or amines. The composite extractant-enhanced polymer resin may be used for extraction of rare earth metals from acid-leaching slurries or solutions.

A composite extractant-enhanced polymer resin comprising an extractant and a polymer resin for direct extraction of valuable metals such as rare earth metals, and more specifically, scandium, from an acid-leaching slurry and/or acid-leaching solution in which ferric ions are not required to be reduced into ferrous ions. The extractant may be cationic, non-ionic, or anionic. More specifically, the extractant di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid may be used. The polymer resin may be non-functional or have functional groups of sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, iminodiacetic acid, phosphoric acid, or amines. The composite extractant-enhanced polymer resin may be used for extraction of rare earth metals from acid-leaching slurries or solutions.

A method and arrangement for recovering lithium hydroxide from a mineral containing lithium, by pulping the raw material containing lithium in the presence of water and an alkali metal carbonate, leaching the obtained slurry twice, first at an elevated temperature, and secondly in an aqueous solution containing an alkali earth metal hydroxide, separating the thus obtained slurry into solids and a solution containing lithium hydroxide, the latter being purified, whereby lithium hydroxide monohydrate can be recovered from the purified solution by crystallising, and finally separating the solution obtained during the crystallization from the process and recycling it to one or more of the previous process steps.

A method and arrangement for recovering lithium hydroxide from a mineral containing lithium, by pulping the raw material containing lithium in the presence of water and an alkali metal carbonate, leaching the obtained slurry twice, first at an elevated temperature, and secondly in an aqueous solution containing an alkali earth metal hydroxide, separating the thus obtained slurry into solids and a solution containing lithium hydroxide, the latter being purified, whereby lithium hydroxide monohydrate can be recovered from the purified solution by crystallising, and finally separating the solution obtained during the crystallization from the process and recycling it to one or more of the previous process steps.

Disclosed herein is an ion selective separation membrane including: a metal organic framework layer formed on, in, and/or around a substrate, the metal organic framework having a crystal structure that includes a first surface and a second surface and includes ion transport channels formed between respective pore windows in the first surface and the second surface; first and second electrodes to apply a potential difference across the membrane; wherein the respective pore windows have a pore size that is less than the hydrated diameter of the ion for which the ion selective separation membrane is selective.

Disclosed herein is an ion selective separation membrane including: a metal organic framework layer formed on, in, and/or around a substrate, the metal organic framework having a crystal structure that includes a first surface and a second surface and includes ion transport channels formed between respective pore windows in the first surface and the second surface; first and second electrodes to apply a potential difference across the membrane; wherein the respective pore windows have a pore size that is less than the hydrated diameter of the ion for which the ion selective separation membrane is selective.

A method of producing phosphoric acid from at least one mineral containing phosphate and an element which is calcium, magnesium, iron, or aluminum. The method includes contacting the at least one mineral (or a combination of them) with a cation exchanger for a time and at a temperature sufficient to yield phosphoric acid from the mineral.

Compounds are of the formula (Ia), (Ib), (Ic), or are stereoisomers thereof, wherein: R1 is hydrogen, (C1-C20)alkyl; (C3-C20)alkenyl; (C3 C20)alkynyl; (C1-C6)alkyl-O; (C3-C20)cycloalkyl; (C1 C20)haloalkyl; (C6-C20)aryl optionally substituted; (C6-C20)heteroaryl optionally substituted; R2 and R2 are hydrogen; (C1-C20)alkyl; (C1-C6)alkyl-O; (C1-C6)haloalkyl; halogen; cyano; and nitro; Z1 to Z4 are diradicals of formula (III) wherein A1 and A2 are O or NR3-, wherein R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and (C1-C20)alkyl; and G is (C1-C6)alkyl; P(S)R5-; P(O)R4; P(O)(OR4)-; P(O)(NR6R7)-; S(O)2-; S(O); or C(O); and Y1 to Y4 are (C1-C8)alkyl; (C3-C7)cycloalkyl; (C6-C20)aryl optionally substituted; or (C6-C20)heteroaryl optionally substituted; and FG1 and FG2 are H, OH, or NHR8.