Extraction-photometric determination of gallium with phenylfluorone in alkaline carbonate solutions in the presence of polyethylene glycol

The main regularities in the extraction of gallium from alkaline carbonate solutions with phenylfluorone in the system polyethylene glycol (PEG)-sodium carbonate-water were studied by spectrophotometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. It was demonstrated that, under these conditions, the distribution coefficient of gallium is above 100 and the recovery is similar to 98% (at the ratio of phases PEG : salt = 1 : 2). The ratio between gallium and the reagent in the complex was determined, and the structure of the coordination sphere of the central atom in the extracted complex was proposed. It was demonstrated that gallium can be determined by the extraction-photometric method at pH 11-14 in the presence of a fivefold amount of aluminum.