PURPOSE: To easily and economically recover metals from an org. complex contg. the metals by treating the org. complex with a weakly acidic aq. soln. of the chloride of alkaline metals or alkaline earth metals of a specific concn.

CONSTITUTION: The org. complex of the metals obtd. by treating an aq. soln. metal salts with a chelate resin is treated with the weakly acidic aq. soln. of the chloride of the alkaline metals or alkaline earth metals. The content of the chloride in the aq. soln. is specified to the high concn. of ≥4 mol, more preferably ≥5 mol. The complex is decomposed by the treatment and the metal ions are migrated to the aq. soln. The org. complex may be subjected to the treatment in the form of the soln. in a water-immiscible org. solvent. The weakly acidic aq. soln. contg. the resulted metal ions is neutralized with a small amt. of an alkali, by which the metals are settled as a hydroxide or oxide and are separated and recovered. A mother liquor after the sepn. is thereafter prepd. again to weak acidity and is reused.