In the base of production technology is extraction of valuable components from flushing sulfuric acid of Zhezkazgan copper smelting plant.

The flushing acid comes from sulfuric acid production shop of copper smelting plant of LLP “Kazakhmys Corporation” via acid tubing to receiving tanks. After decantation and cooling the initial flushing acid (decantate) is poured to collecting tanks and further pumped to frame press-filter for control filtration from slime.

Filtered flushing acid from press-filters is directed to collecting tank by self-flowing, downstream tanks and further to extractors to extract rhenium. Down discharge (slime) from receiving mixers is pumped to tank-mixers to water flushing.

After decantation of slime the upper discharge (decantate) is mixed with initial flushing acid via tank and after control filtration is directed to extraction. Down discharge (slime) is pumped to mixers for neutralization by soda ash.

Neutralized slime is filtrated on drum vacuum-filters. The received lead cake is poured to still tanks and directed to storing warehouse.

Rhenium extraction from flushing acid is hold in box extractors. To extract rhenium an organic phase as a following mixture is used: lighting kerosene, 2-ethylhexanol and 3-alkylamin in a certain proportion. This mixture extracts rhenium from the acid and makes an extract, which is directed to the following stage – re-extraction. Worked out flushing acid (rafinate) after the process of extraction is directed to collecting tank, further it is removed to tailing tray of ore-dressing factory.

To re-extract rhenium liquid ammonia is used. As a result of processing the extract in solid phase, the pulp (rhenium salt) is formed in re-extractors. The pulp is unloaded periodically from the apparatus and after the process of decantation it is directed to the section of salt to produce commodity output – rhenium salt.

For more effective removal of organic phase from the rough salt (pulp) an operation of steaming is applied. As a result of several cycles of solution and crystallization, maintaining regime parameters the commodity output is received – ammonia perrhenate, which corresponds to all the requirements of technical conditions.

During the process of re-extraction there forms a rhenium-osmium, which contains mother waters, and to afterextract of rhenium it is directed to the process of sedimentation of complex salt. A part of filtrate is directed to extraction of osmium containing industrial product.

At the rare metals shop of RGE “Zhezkazganredmet” a scientific elaboration of JSC “Center of Earth sciences, metallurgy and ore-dressing” to the theme “An effective and safety technology to extract osmium, rhenium and other valuable components from liquid rough salt of rare metals shop” was introduced, which allowed increasing of rhenium extraction to more than 1%.