The raw materials for producing ammonium metatungstate (AMT) are tungsten ore or concentrate, and ammonium hydroxide solution.
The process for producing AMT typically involves the following steps:
The tungsten ore or concentrate is first crushed and ground to a fine powder.
The powdered tungsten ore is then mixed with ammonium hydroxide solution to form a slurry.
The slurry is then heated under controlled conditions, typically at temperatures between 60-90°C, to extract the tungsten from the ore and form an ammonium tungstate solution.
The ammonium tungstate solution is then purified by filtration and solvent extraction to remove impurities.
The purified ammonium tungstate solution is then subjected to controlled heating and evaporation to form ammonium metatungstate crystals.
The AMT crystals are then separated from the remaining solution, washed, and dried.
Finally, the dried AMT crystals are typically calcined (heated in air) to remove any remaining water and convert them to tungsten oxide, which can be used as a precursor for the production of other tungsten compounds.
Overall, the production of AMT requires high-quality tungsten ore or concentrate and ammonium hydroxide solution, as well as careful control of the various process parameters to ensure consistent quality and purity of the final product.
