Experimental study on thallium removal from ammonium perrhenate

Ammonium perrhenate extracted from copper smelting acid contains a certain amount of Tl element which affects the quality of ammonium perrhenate and limits the end application of rhenium products. In this paper, a traditional adsorption method was used to remove Tl: activated carbon, TiO₂, KI and XH30 resin were used to carry out static absorption tests. On this basis, the effects of rhenium solution concentration, adsorption linear velocity and rhenium solution pH on the dynamic adsorption of Tl by using XH30 resin were investigated. The results showed that the adsorption effect on Tl by using activated carbon and KI was not ideal, and the adsorption rates of Tl by using TiO₂ and XH30 resin for long-term dynamic adsorption were 96.9 % and 97.95 %, respectively. Tl was adsorbed with XH30 resin column. When Re was 10 g/L, Tl, roughly 5 mg/L, pH, 8.5, and linear velocity of adsorption, controlled at 8 cm/min, the Tl removal rate could stand stable at 93.4 % and the grade of recrystallized ammonium perrhenate remained above 99.99 %.