Extraction process of precious metal ruthenium

The extraction process of ruthenium, a precious metal from the platinum group, involves several steps:

Pretreatment: The ruthenium-containing raw materials (like ores or waste) are physically treated by crushing and grinding to improve the efficiency of chemical treatment.

Dissolution: The pre-treated material is treated with an appropriate chemical solvent, usually hydrochloric acid or aqua regia, to dissolve the ruthenium into a soluble form.

Impurity Removal: Non-target metal impurities, such as iron and copper, are removed from the solution by chemical precipitation or extraction.

Extraction: Ruthenium is extracted from the purified solution using chemical precipitation, extraction, or electrolysis.

Purification: Further chemical treatment or electrolytic refining is done to increase the purity of ruthenium to meet industrial standards.

This process ensures that ruthenium is efficiently separated and purified for use in various applications, such as electronics, catalysis, and jewelry production.