A method for recovering ruthenium from a spent ruthenium-based catalyst carried on aluminum oxide includes: drying, calcining, and cooling a spent catalyst; grinding the spent catalyst into black powder; placing the black powder in a fluidized bed reactor, purging the reactor with hydrogen and heating the black powder to obtain ruthenium metal, then heating the black powder in a mixed atmosphere of oxygen and ozone to obtain RuO.sub.4 gas; absorbing the RuO.sub.4 gas with a sufficient amount of hydrochloric acid to obtain a H.sub.3RuCl.sub.6 solution; adding an excess oxidant to the H.sub.3RuCl.sub.6 solution to oxidize the H.sub.3RuCl.sub.6 into H.sub.2RuCl.sub.6; adding excess NH.sub.4Cl to the H.sub.2RuCl.sub.6 and then filtering, and washing the filter cake to obtain solid (NH.sub.4).sub.2RuCl.sub.6; and reducing the solid (NH.sub.4).sub.2RuCl.sub.6 by hydrogen to obtain ruthenium metal.

A method for recovering ruthenium from a spent ruthenium-based catalyst carried on aluminum oxide includes: drying, calcining, and cooling a spent catalyst; grinding the spent catalyst into black powder; placing the black powder in a fluidized bed reactor, purging the reactor with hydrogen and heating the black powder to obtain ruthenium metal, then heating the black powder in a mixed atmosphere of oxygen and ozone to obtain RuO.sub.4 gas; absorbing the RuO.sub.4 gas with a sufficient amount of hydrochloric acid to obtain a H.sub.3RuCl.sub.6 solution; adding an excess oxidant to the H.sub.3RuCl.sub.6 solution to oxidize the H.sub.3RuCl.sub.6 into H.sub.2RuCl.sub.6; adding excess NH.sub.4Cl to the H.sub.2RuCl.sub.6 and then filtering, and washing the filter cake to obtain solid (NH.sub.4).sub.2RuCl.sub.6; and reducing the solid (NH.sub.4).sub.2RuCl.sub.6 by hydrogen to obtain ruthenium metal.

The present invention relates to a process for dissolving metals in perhalide containing ionic liquids, and to the extraction of metals from mineral ores; the remediation of materials contaminated with heavy, toxic or radioactive metals; and to the removal of heavy and toxic metals from hydrocarbon streams.

The present invention relates to a process for dissolving metals in perhalide containing ionic liquids, and to the extraction of metals from mineral ores; the remediation of materials contaminated with heavy, toxic or radioactive metals; and to the removal of heavy and toxic metals from hydrocarbon streams.

A method, and systems in which such method may be practiced, allow for the separation of elemental metals from metal alloy. A metal alloy is atomized to form metal alloy particulates. The metal alloy particulates are exposed to an oxidizing agent, such as chlorine gas in the presence of a salt, such as NaCl, an acid, such as HCl, and water. The resulting solution may be filtered to remove particulates, reduced, filtered, reduced, filtered, and so on. In aspects, the method is used to refine gold alloy by oxidation of elemental sponge gold to gold chloride followed by reduction to pure elemental gold.

A method, and systems in which such method may be practiced, allow for the separation of elemental metals from metal alloy. A metal alloy is atomized to form metal alloy particulates. The metal alloy particulates are exposed to an oxidizing agent, such as chlorine gas in the presence of a salt, such as NaCl, an acid, such as HCl, and water. The resulting solution may be filtered to remove particulates, reduced, filtered, reduced, filtered, and so on. In aspects, the method is used to refine gold alloy by oxidation of elemental sponge gold to gold chloride followed by reduction to pure elemental gold.

A method for recovery of gold from gold-containing materials, such as electronic waste material, minerals and sands is described. The method includes crushing the gold containing material to obtain a particulate material. The particulate material is then preheated in an oxygen-containing gas environment in a preheating zone. The method also includes mixing the oxidized particulate material with a chlorine-containing material and treating the mixture in a reaction zone. The treatment is carried out by heating the mixture to provide thermal decomposition of the chlorine-containing material and produce a chlorine-containing gas mixture, and by applying an electromagnetic field to the chlorine-containing gas mixture to provide ionization of chlorine. A volatile gold-containing chloride product, produced in the reaction zone as a result of a chemical reaction between gold and chlorine ions, is then cooled to convert the volatile gold-containing chloride product into solid phase gold-containing materials.

A method for recovery of gold from gold-containing materials, such as electronic waste material, minerals and sands is described. The method includes crushing the gold containing material to obtain a particulate material. The particulate material is then preheated in an oxygen-containing gas environment in a preheating zone. The method also includes mixing the oxidized particulate material with a chlorine-containing material and treating the mixture in a reaction zone. The treatment is carried out by heating the mixture to provide thermal decomposition of the chlorine-containing material and produce a chlorine-containing gas mixture, and by applying an electromagnetic field to the chlorine-containing gas mixture to provide ionization of chlorine. A volatile gold-containing chloride product, produced in the reaction zone as a result of a chemical reaction between gold and chlorine ions, is then cooled to convert the volatile gold-containing chloride product into solid phase gold-containing materials.

Discloses a hydrometallurgical process and system for the recovery of precious metals; specifically palladium, rhodium, and platinum metals, at high purity and with limited waste and environmental fouling.

Discloses a hydrometallurgical process and system for the recovery of precious metals; specifically palladium, rhodium, and platinum metals, at high purity and with limited waste and environmental fouling.