**Ion Exchange Method for Removal and Separation of Noble Metal Ions**

Zbigniew Hubicki, Monika Wawrzkiewicz, Grzegorz Wójcik, Dorota Kołodyńska and Anna Wołowicz

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/60597

#### **Abstract**

Ion exchange has been widely applied in technology of chemical separation of noble met‐ al ions. This is associated with dissemination of methods using various ion exchange res‐ ins which are indispensable in many fields of chemical industry. Due to small amounts of noble elements in nature and constant impoverishment of their natural raw materials, of particular importance are physicochemical methods of their recovery from the second sources e.g. worn out converters of exhausted gases, chemical catalysts, dental alloys, anodic sludges from cooper and nickiel electrorefining as well as waste waters and run‐ ning off waters from refineries containing trace amount of noble metals. It should be stat‐ ed that these waste materials are usually pyro- and hydrometallurgically processed. Recovery of noble metals, from such raw materials requires individual approach to each material and application of selective methods for their removal. Moreover, separation of noble metals, particularly platinum metals and gold from geological samples, industrial products, synthetic mixtures along with other elements is a problem of significant impor‐ tance nowadays. In the paper the research on the applicability of different types of ion exchangers for the separation of noble metals will be presented. The effect of the different parameters on their separation will be also discussed. The examples of the removal of no‐ ble metals chlorocomplexes will also be presented in detail.

**Keywords:** noble metals, ion exchangers, sorbents, separation
