Vinci Martinez Felix

RECOVERY OF SPENT CATALYST

A process is disclosed for converting a spent catalyst from conventional fluorination processes into a commercially useful tantalum or niobium oxide such as Ta(OH)5, Ta2O5, Nb(OH)5, or Nb2O5. The process broadly relates to dissolving the spent catalyst into water or an aqueous hydrofluoric acid solution, separating and disposing the undissolved residue, extracting the aqueous solution with a suitable solvent such as methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), and obtaining useful tantalum or niobium oxide products.