System and Method for Recovery of Scandium Values From Scandium-Containing Ores

1 . A method for extracting scandium values from scandium-containing ores, the method comprising:

providing an ore which contains scandium;

treating the ore with an acid;

baking the ore; and

leaching scandium from the baked ore under conditions which are not conducive to the formation of a scandium-containing precipitate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein scandium is leached from the baked ore under conditions which are not conducive to the formation of K-jarosite.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein scandium is leached from the baked ore under conditions in which K-jarosite is unstable.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the pH of the leaching solution is maintained at a value greater than 2.5 during leaching.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the pH of the leaching solution is maintained at a value greater than 3.0 during leaching.

6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the pH of the leaching solution is maintained at a value greater than 3.5 during leaching.

7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the redox potential of the leaching solution is maintained outside of the range of about 0.9 to about 1.0 during leaching.

8 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the redox potential of the leaching solution is maintained outside of the range of about 0.8 to about 1.1 during leaching.

9 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the redox potential of the leaching solution is maintained outside of the range of about 0.75 to about 1.15 during leaching.

10 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the redox potential of the leaching solution is maintained outside of the range of about 0.7 to about 1.2 during leaching.

11 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the pH of the leaching solution is maintained above about 2.5 during leaching, and wherein the redox potential of the leaching solution is maintained outside of the range of about 0.9 to about 1.0 during leaching.

12 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the pH of the leaching solution is maintained above about 3.0 during leaching, and wherein the redox potential of the leaching solution is maintained outside of the range of about 0.8 to about 1.1 during leaching.

13 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the pH of the leaching solution is maintained above about 2.5 during leaching, and wherein the redox potential of the leaching solution is maintained outside of the range of about 0.7 to about 1.2 during leaching.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the acid is sulfuric acid.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the acid is nitric acid.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein treating the ore with an acid releases scandium from the crystal lattice structure of the ore.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein baking the ore thermally decomposes the acid.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the acid is sulfuric acid, and wherein baking the ore releases SO 2 from the ore.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

collecting the SO 2 generated by the baking step in a first iteration of the method; and using the SO 2 to make sulfuric acid which is used in treating the ore with an acid in a second iteration of the method.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the SO 2 is collected with a scrubber.

21 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the acid is nitric acid, and wherein baking the ore releases NO x from the ore.

22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

collecting the NO x generated by the baking step in a first iteration of the method; and

using the NO x to make nitric acid which is used in treating the ore with an acid in a second iteration of the method.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the NO x is collected with a scrubber.

24 . The method of claim 1 , wherein leaching scandium from the baked ore results in a solution of scandium oxide.

25 . A method for extracting scandium values from scandium-containing ores, the method comprising:

providing an ore which contains scandium;

treating the ore with an acid;

baking the ore, thus generating gaseous effluents;

recycling the gaseous effluents to reconstitute the acid; and

using the reconstituted acid in a second iteration of the method.

26 . (canceled)

27 . (canceled)