Solvent extraction and separation of copper from base metals using bifunctional ionic liquid from sulfate medium

A novel solvent extraction process for extraction and separation of copper from other base metal ions using a bifunctional ionic liquid (IL) (trioctylmethylammonium/2,4,4-trimethylpentyl phosphinate, [A336/Cy272]) in kerosene was reported. This IL was found to extract copper more efficiently than the individual extractants Aliquat 336 or Cyanex 272. Formation of an octahedral copper-IL complex was characterized by UV-Visible spectra and metal ligand interaction was confirmed by FTIR spectra. The loading capacity of 0.1 mol/L [A336/Cy272] was found to be 1.71 g/L. Stripping studies reported that 0.298 g/L copper ions were efficiently stripped using 0.1 mol/L sulfuric acid from 0.05 mol/L loaded IL. The selectivity of copper against nickel, cadmium and iron was investigated from their equimolar binary mixtures using 0.05 mol/L [A336/Cy272] in kerosene. The highest separation factor beta(Cu/Cd)=8.41 was obtained at pH 3.56. Copper can be effectively separated from nickel over the pH range studied. The IL extracts preferentially iron over copper and the highest separation factor beta(Fe/Cu) was 3246 at pH 2.4. The extraction rate of metal ions from a synthetic solution containing copper with other metal impurities was in the order of Fe>Zn>Cu>Cd>Co>Ni.