Recovery of gallium from Bayer liquor using ion exchange technique - a case study

Abstract

Gallium adsorption studies were carried out using synthesized hydroxamic acid functional group chelating ion-exchange resin. Batch-scale studies were carried to establish the suitable conditions for the preferential extraction of gallium. The kinetics of gallium adsorption was found to be higher than vanadium. Using the data developed on a batch scale, ion-exchange columns were designed, installed and commissioned. Column studies were carried out to evaluate the process parameters developed in batch scale tests. The stability of the resin was tested using actual Bayer liquor produced by National Aluminum Company Ltd (NALCO) at Damanjodi, Orissa, India. Initially, column studies were carried out to recover Ga at a rate of 2 g/day. Based on these findings, further studies were carried out to recover Ga at rates of 20 and 100 g/day. Gallium could be extracted preferentially in all scales of operation. The repeated extraction-elution cycle indicated the stability of the resin.