Extraction of rubidium from Malatya - Kuluncak area complex ore

Year 2022, , 131 - 140, 18.08.2022

Ayşe Erdem Hüseyin Eren Obuz , Haydar Güneş Şölen Diktepe Buse Özen İlik Çiğdem Kara Hasan Akçay Akan Gülmez Zümrüt Alkan

https://doi.org/10.19111/bulletinofmre.997306

Abstract

In this study, studies were carried out to take rubidium (Rb), which is in a complex form of Na +K feldspar, pyroxene, and alumina silicate into solution in an environmentally sensitive manner with high recovery. Malatya - Kuluncak complex ore was used in this study. In the first stage of the study, the roasting method was tried to obtain rubidium chloride (RbCl) or rubidium sulphate (Rb2SO4) structures, which are the water-soluble forms of rubidium in the sodium-potassium feldspar minerals. Roasting was carried out using different additives and calcium chloride was identified as the most suitable additive material for this ore structure. In studies investigating the effect of roasting temperature and time, the evaporation amount of RbCl was calculated. After deciding on the additives, the additive amount, solid/liquid ratio in the leaching stage, and leach time were optimized. The optimum conditions were determined as a leaching time of 120 minutes at 1/3 solid/ liquid ratio after roasting for 60 minutes at the roasting temperature of 900 °C at 70% calcium chloride (CaCl2) addition. the solution efficiency of rubidium was calculated as 96%. Taking Rb into solution from primary sources was first achieved with this study in Türkiye.

Keywords

Leaching, Roasting, Rubidium

Supporting Institution

Scientific Research project coded 35-16-01- 03 of the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Explorations

Project Number

35-16-01- 03

Thanks

This study was carried out within the scope of the Scientific Research project coded 35-16-01- 03 of the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Explorations. We take this opportunity to thank Research Assistant Dr. Erkan İLİK of Eskişehir Osmangazi University for his generous support, Ebru KAVUÇU of the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration, Ufuk KİBAR for SEM imaging and Ayşe KOYUNCU for the XRF analyses.

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