Extraction of niobium from sulfate leach liquor of Egyptian ore sample by triazoloquinazolinone

The refractory niobium bearing minerals, Samarskite, Fergusonite, Betafite and Pyrochlore of the ore sample obtained from Kadabora, Egypt, was subjected to sulfuric acid leaching using acid concentrations varied from 17.6 to 4.5 mol/L. The extraction of niobium from the sulfate leach liquors was done using the synthesized 8,9-dihydro[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]quinazolin-6(7H)-one dissolved in methylene chloride. It has been found that extraction efficiency of 84% was achieved by contacting equal volumes of 0.32% extractant with 4.5 mol/L sulfate solution for 15 min. The stripping was performed by 0.5 mol/L HF with efficiency of 86.7%.