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Abstract

A hydrometallurgic and electrochemical process for processing sulfur antimony ores and residues is disclosed, the end products from which are electrolytic antimony and elemental sulfur. The concentrate of sulfur antimony ore, leached with a solution of caustic alkali according to the known techniques dissolves, as sulfur salts as much Sb as possible, whilst the other heavy and precious metals which accompany the antimony bearing ore remain unchanged in the residue. From the solution of antimony sulfur salts pure Sb.sub.2 S.sub.3 is precipitated by acidification and this sulfide, separated from the solution by filtration, is leached with a ferric fluoborate based electrolyte which oxidizes sulfide into elemental sulfur and dissolves antimony as Sb.sup.3+ fluoborate. The resulting mixture is filtered once more in order to separate elemental sulfur and the solution of Sb fluoborate is submitted to electrolysis in a diaphragm cell with electrolytic Sb being obtained at the cathodes, and regenerated ferric fluoborate being recycled to the step of Sb.sub.2 S.sub.3 leaching in the anodic compartment.

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First Claim