A method for purifying lutetium includes providing a solid composition comprising ytterbium and lutetium and subliming or distilling ytterbium from the solid composition at a temperature of about 1196° C. to about 3000° C. to leave a lutetium composition comprising a higher weight percentage of lutetium than was present in the solid composition.

Adducts, superstructures, and crystalline compositions prepared from a metal halide anion non-covalently bound to the outer surface of a macrocycle and methods for gold recovery are disclosed.

A method of leaching copper-containing ores includes leaching copper-containing ores or concentrates or tailings of the ores or concentrates with a leach liquor in the presence of an additive that enhances the dissolution of copper from copper minerals in the ores and concentrates by forming a complex between (a) sulfur, that has originated from copper minerals in the ores, and (b) the additive. A method of leaching copper-containing ores includes leaching copper-containing ores or concentrates or tailings of the ores or concentrates with a leach liquor includes leaching copper-containing ores or concentrates or tailings of the ores or concentrates with a leach liquor in the presence of a nitrogen-containing organic complexing additive that forms a complex between sulfur, that has originated from copper minerals in the ores, and the additive.

A sublimation/distillation apparatus including a crucible with an open end, a heating device thermally coupled to the crucible, an actively cooled collection substrate disposed above the open end of the crucible, and a vacuum chamber housing the crucible, the heating device, and the actively cooled collection substrate.

A method of leaching copper-containing ores includes leaching copper-containing ores or concentrates or tailings of the ores or concentrates with a leach liquor in the presence of an additive that enhances the dissolution of copper from copper minerals in the ores and concentrates by forming a complex between (a) sulfur, that has originated from copper minerals in the ores, and (b) the additive. A method of leaching copper-containing ores includes leaching copper-containing ores or concentrates or tailings of the ores or concentrates with a leach liquor includes leaching copper-containing ores or concentrates or tailings of the ores or concentrates with a leach liquor in the presence of a nitrogen-containing organic complexing additive that forms a complex between sulfur, that has originated from copper minerals in the ores, and the additive.

A method of leaching copper-containing ores includes leaching copper-containing ores or concentrates or tailings of the ores or concentrates with a leach liquor in the presence of an additive that enhances the dissolution of copper from copper minerals in the ores and concentrates by forming a complex between (a) sulfur, that has originated from copper minerals in the ores, and (b) the additive. A method of leaching copper-containing ores includes leaching copper-containing ores or concentrates or tailings of the ores or concentrates with a leach liquor includes leaching copper-containing ores or concentrates or tailings of the ores or concentrates with a leach liquor in the presence of a nitrogen-containing organic complexing additive that forms a complex between sulfur, that has originated from copper minerals in the ores, and the additive.

A separation method for a separation target metal uses a metal ligand having an oxide of the separation target metal as a core. The separation method for the separation target metal includes a step of dispersing the metal ligand in a solution containing the separation target metal and separating the separation target metal in the solution as the oxide of the separation target metal. A metal coordination polymer includes: a metal oxide; and a ligand polymer that carries the metal oxide. The metal oxide is an oxide of any one, two, or more of cobalt, nickel, and manganese, and the ligand polymer is a copolymer of (1) an optionally substituted divinylbenzene and (2) acrylic acid or methacrylic acid.

Disclosed herein are compounds, compositions, and methods for separating platinum halide dianions, such as [PtCl.sub.6].sup.2?, with a cubcurbituril, such as cucurbit[6]uril, is disclosed herein.

Precious metals such as those of the platinum group can be effectively recovered from crystalline aluminosilicate supports, for example from spent catalysts, without appreciable degradation of the crystal structure by ion-exchange using a base metal ion containing medium and subsequent sequestration of the precious metal in elemental form on a nonionic cross linked borane reducing resin.

A method of extracting rare metals from ore including: providing an aqueous acid-leached ore slurry; adding an organic extractive solvent to the aqueous acid-leached ore slurry; mixing an organic extractive solvent with the aqueous acid-leached ore slurry to form a mixture; and separating the mixture into at least an aqueous phase and a solvent phase. The aqueous acid-leached ore slurry may have a viscosity of less than 400 centipoise, a Newtonian or near Newtonian rheology, and a pH of less than 4.0. The organic extractive solvent may comprise an extractant, a solvent, and a modifier. Separation of the aqueous acid-leached ore slurry/organic extractive solvent mixture may result in an emulsion phase, a crud, or both in addition to the aqueous phase and the solvent phase. The emulsion phase, the crud or both may be further treated by adding a low-carbon-number alcohol.