Abstract
The present work is concerned with selective dissolution of niobium from Gabal El Faliq concentrate sample by using fluoride-free process. The chemical analysis of concentrate sample revealed the presence of high amount of ZrO2, Nb2O5, Re2O3, and HfO2 assaying 33.6, 1.99, 4.8, and 1.2%w/w respectively. Several economic minerals including zircon, samarskite, fergusonite, and xenotime were recorded in the studied sample. About 98% of Nb content was selectively dissolved at the optimum conditions of 1:2 concentrate sample: KOH weight ratio, 2.5 h fusion time, and fusion temperature of 550 degrees C. Organic solvent extraction process using Aliquat 336S in xylene was effectively used for preparing pure Nb2O5 (98.95%).