Improved recovery of trace amounts of gold (III), palladium (II) and platinum (IV) from large amounts of associated base metals using anion-exchange resins

• Published in: Fresenius' journal of analytical chemistry Vol. 366; no. 3; pp. 213 - 217
• Main Authors: MATSUBARA, I, TAKEDA, Y, ISHIDA, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.02.2000
• Subjects: Chemistry; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Solid-liquid interface; Surface physical chemistry; Trace analysis; Liquid solid interface; Liquid solid adsorption; Palladium II; Anionic resin; Liquid solid desorption; Gold III; Separation method; Platinum IV; Transition metal Ions; Thiourea; Platinoid Ions; Column chromatography; Ion exchange resin
• ISSN: 0937-0633; 1432-1130
• DOI: 10.1007/s002160050042

The adsorption and desorption behaviors of gold (III), palladium (II) and platinum (IV) were surveyed in column chromatographic systems consisting of one of the conventional anion-exchange resins of large ion-exchange capacity and dilute thiourea solutions. The noble metals were strongly adsorbed on the anion-exchange resins from dilute hydrochloric acid, while most base metals did not show any marked adsorbability. These facts made it possible to separate the noble metals from a large quantity of base metals such as Ag (I), Al (III), Co (II), Cu (II), Fe (III), Mn (II), Ni (II), Pb (II), and Zn (II). Although it used to be very difficult to desorb the noble metals from the resins used, the difficulty was easily overcome by use of dilute thiourea solutions as an eluant. In the present study, as little as 1.00 microg of the respective noble metals was quantitatively separated and recovered from as much as ca. 10 mg of a number of metals on a small column by elution with a small amount of dilute thiourea solution. The present systems should be applicable to the separation, concentration and recovery of traces of the noble metals from a number of base metals coexisting in a more extended range of amounts and ratios.