REMOVAL AND RECOVERY OF GALLIUM AND INDIUM IONS IN ACIDIC SOLUTION WITH CHELATING RESIN CONTAINING AMINOMETHYLPHOSPHONIC ACID GROUPS

Removal and recovery of gallium and indium ions in acidic solution with the macroreticular chelating resin containing aminomethylphosphonic acid groups was investigated. The resin (RMT-P) exhibited high affinity for gallium and indium ions in sulfuric acid solution. In the column method, gallium and indium ions in sulfuric acid solution (0.05 or 0.5 mol/dm3) were favorably adsorbed on the RMT-P when the solution containing 27.6 mg/dm3 of gallium ion or 51.4 mg/dm3 of indium ion was passed through the RMT-P column at a space velocity of 15 h-1. The gallium and indium ions adsorbed were eluted by allowing 1 mol/dm3 sodium hydroxide or 4 mol/dm3 hydrochloric acid to pass through the column. The proposed resin appears to be useful for the recovery of gallium and indium ions in sulfuric acid solution.