Investigation into ruthenium(4) sorption from sulfate media by inorganic sulfides

Investigated is sorption of ruthenium(4) aquahydroxosulfate complexes out of sulfate media with inorganic sulfides, the nature and properties of which differ significantly. For acceleration the process has been carried out at the elevated temperature (from 25 to 150 deg C). Initial solution has been prepared from ruthenium (4) sulfide, labelled by radioactive isotope Ru-106. Sharp increase in the rate of the platinoid extraction process with the temperature increase is detected. It is shown that the increase in the phase contact period results finally in practically full Ru(4) extraction by sulfides at any temperature. It is detected that the presence of foreign ions (up to their concentration of 1g-ion/l) slows down the process of ruthenium(4) extraction from sulfate solutions with sulfides. However increase in phase contact period and temperature results in practically full platinoid extraction. Pointed out is a tendency to the increase of sorption properties of sulfides in the series HgS<Sb2S3<Cu2S<CuS<CdS<=PbS<CoS<NiS, which is correlated with the series of their solubility product change and also is correlated in general with the change of specific surface of the sulfides taken, which decreases from PbS to HgS