SEAWATER AS AUXILIARY REAGENT IN DUAL-TEMPERATURE ION-EXCHANGE PROCESSING OF ACIDIC MINE WATERS

This paper reports the results of studying dual-temperature ion-exchan ge concentrations of Cu2+ from acidic mine waters on acrylic resin Lew atit R 250-K in applying seawater as a regenerant. Application of seaw ater as an auxiliary reagent has been shown to enhance selective conce ntration of copper. Loading of the resin in the initial seawater form with mine water at 20 degrees C followed by thermostripping with hot m ine water at 80 degrees C has been shown to result in an 3-fold increa se of copper concentration in the first portions of the eluate. The re petitive thermosorption-thermostripping concentration cycles appear to be less efficient and give around 25% increase of Cu2+ concentration. The applicability of seawater for regeneration of the resin in the co urse of ion-exchange treatment of mine water has been successfully dem onstrated, and the flow sheet of a proposed process is presented.