Regeneration Of Degraded Extractant By Sodium Hydroxide Activated Clay And Evaluation Of Its Per-formances In Copper Solvent Extraction

Abstract

- In copper solvent extraction, phenolic hydroxy oximes-based extractant has been observed to deteriorate progressively during extraction. Hydrolysis, rather than oxidation or Beckmann rearrangement, produce majority of the degradation products. Degradation products impact the solvent extraction method by lowering extraction efficiency, reaction kinetics, and Cu/Fe selectivity, slowing the phase disengagement time and polluting the electrolyte. Activated clay using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was used to regenerate deteriorated extractant. After the regeneration step, the organic phase's performance improved: extraction efficiency increased from 67 to 97.3 % maximum, Cu/Fe selectivity increased from 169 to 283 and phase disengagement time decreased from 113 to 88 seconds.