THE KINETICS OF ZINC, COBALT AND NICKEL EXTRACTION IN THE D2EHPA-HEPTANE-HC104 SYSTEM USING THE ROTATING DIFFUSION CELL TECHNIQUE

Abstract
The kinetics of the extraction of zinc, cobalt and nickel from perchlorate solutions using di 2-ethyl-hexyl phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) dissolved in heptane were studied using the Rotating Diffusion Cell technique. The extraction of each metal was investigated individually over a wide range of metal concentration, extractant concentration, pH and temperature conditions. The data were analysed in terms of a mass transfer with chemical reaction (MTWCR) mechanism. Hughes and Rod'/s generalized MTWCR model was used to fit the cobalt data using kinetic and equilibrium parameters. The zinc and nickel data were quantitatively described within the framework of the MTWCR model. The zinc extraction rate was so fast that mass transfer alone was rate controlling. The nickel extraction experiments were so slow that the metal-ligand complex formation was incomplete in the aqueous film. Some reaction was determined to be occurring in the aqueous bulk solution as well.