Leaching four stage countercurrent

Four-stage countercurrent mineral leaching and washing with waste disposal (M,W,D)... 

Fig. 6.2-6 Scheme and graphical presentation of four stage countercurrent leaching... 

For solvent extraction of pentavalent vanadium as a decavanadate anion, the leach solution is acidified to ca pH 3 by addition of sulfuric acid. Vanadium is extracted in about four countercurrent mixer—settler stages by a 3—5 wt % solution of a tertiary alkyl amine in kerosene. The organic solvent is stripped by a soda-ash or ammonium hydroxide solution, and addition of ammoniacal salts to the rich vanadium strip Hquor yields ammonium metavanadate. A small part of the metavanadate is marketed in that form and some is decomposed at a carefully controlled low temperature to make air-dried or fine granular pentoxide, but most is converted to fused pentoxide by thermal decomposition at ca 450°C, melting at 900°C, then chilling and flaking. 

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