IRN AP23487029 “Development of an innovative technology for leaching rhenium and osmium from lead cakes of copper production in column-type apparatuses.” Project supervisor – Candidate of Technical Sciences, E.A. Mazulevsky.
For the 2025 stage, the following results were obtained:
An improved column-type unit for leaching rhenium and osmium from cakes was developed and its efficiency was experimentally confirmed, ensuring a stable liquid-to-solid ratio, uniform reagent distribution, and the absence of suspension stratification.
Optimal process parameters were determined (60–70 °C, 1 hour, L/S = 2.0, 70 ml H₂O₂ and 7 ml H₂SO₄ per 100 g of cake), under which rhenium extraction reaches 95–97%, while osmium is completely retained in the solution. The implementation of a cooled sealed foam breaker made it possible to completely eliminate the loss of osmium and rhenium with the gas phase.
Based on the research results, a patent application entitled “Method and apparatus for leaching” has been filed.
The work is ongoing.
