Separation and concentration of gallium from acidic leach solutions containing various metal ions by emulsion type of liquid membranes using TOPO as mobile carrier

• Published in: Hydrometallurgy Vol. 75; no. 1; pp. 111 - 121
• Main Authors: Kumbasar, R.A., Tutkun, O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-11-2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acidic leach solution; Applied sciences; Emulsion liquid membrane; Exact sciences and technology; Metals. Metallurgy; Production of metals; Separation and concentration of gallium; Solvent extraction; Tri- n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO); Tri- n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO); Emulsion liquid membrane; Acidic leach solution; Solvent extraction; Separation and concentration of gallium; Membrane; Acid medium; Hydrometallurgy
• ISSN: 0304-386X; 1879-1158
• DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2004.07.009

The separation and concentration of gallium from acidic leach solutions, containing various other ions, such as iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, cadmium, lead, copper, and aluminium, by an emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) technique using trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) as carrier has been presented. Liquid membrane consists of a diluent, a surfactant (ECA 4360J), and an extractant (TOPO), and 0.1 M HCl or 0.1 M H
2SO
4 were used as the stripping solution. The important variables governing the permeation of gallium and their effect on the separation process have been studied. These variables were membrane type and composition, mixing speed, surfactant concentration, HCl concentration in the feed, feed concentration, diluent type, extractant concentration, the acid type of stripping phase, and treatment ratio. The optimum conditions were determined. It was possible to selectively extract 97.0% of gallium from the acidic leach solutions, containing Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Al, at the optimum conditions. The separation factors of gallium with respect to Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Al, were experimentally found to be of 24.2, 16.2, 43.1, 28.3, 18.2, 25.2, 7.1, and 64.7, respectively, in 30 min.