Extraction of Non-Ferrous Metals and Iron with Systems based on Bis(2,4,4-Trimethylpentyl)Dithiophosphinic Acid (CYANEX 301), A Review

Technology for the Recovery of Lithium from Geothermal Brines

Lithium is the principal component of high-energy-density batteries and is a critical material necessary for the economy and security of the United States. Brines from geothermal power production have been identified as a potential domestic source of lithium; however, lithium-rich geothermal brines are characterized by complex chemistry, high salinity, and high temperatures, which pose unique challenges for economic lithium extraction. The purpose of this paper is to examine and analyze direct lithium extraction technology in the context of developing sustainable lithium production from geothermal brines. In this paper, we are focused on the challenges of applying direct lithium extraction technology to geothermal brines; however, applications to other brines (such as coproduced brines from oil wells) are considered. The most technologically advanced approach for direct lithium extraction from geothermal brines is adsorption of lithium using inorganic sorbents. Other separation processes include extraction using solvents, sorption on organic resin and polymer materials, chemical precipitation, and membrane-dependent processes. The Salton Sea geothermal field in California has been identified as the most significant lithium brine resource in the US and past and present efforts to extract lithium and other minerals from Salton Sea brines were evaluated. Extraction of lithium with inorganic molecular sieve ion-exchange sorbents appears to offer the most immediate pathway for the development of economic lithium extraction and recovery from Salton Sea brines. Other promising technologies are still in early development, but may one day offer a second generation of methods for direct, selective lithium extraction. Initial studies have demonstrated that lithium extraction and recovery from geothermal brines are technically feasible, but challenges still remain in developing an economically and environmentally sustainable process at scale.

Permanganometric Titration for the Quantification of Purified Bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)dithiophosphinic Acid in n-Dodecane

The organic soluble extractant bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)dithiophosphinic acid, often called Cyanex 301 (HC301), has shown selectivity for preferentially extracting trivalent actinides over the lanthanides in the treatment of used nuclear fuel. To maintain control and efficiency of a separation process using this extractant, it is necessary to accurately know specific parameters of the system, including the concentration of HC301 in the organic phase, at any given time. Here, the ability to quickly determine the concentration of HC301 in n-dodecane was tested by a one-step permanganometric titration in an organic solution using a double-beam UV-vis spectrophotometer. The addition of HC301 in n-dodecane to solutions of KMnO₄ was found to decolorize the KMnO₄ solutions, but the HC301 was best quantified in terms of decolorization in acetone. This decolorization allowed for the creation of a linear analytical curve relating the amount of KMnO₄ consumed to the amount of HC301 added. Cross-validation of this analytical curve reproduced the known amount of HC301 with an average difference of 1.73% and a maximum of 4.03%.

Review on the Comparison of the Chemical Reactivity of Cyanex 272, Cyanex 301 and Cyanex 302 for Their Application to Metal Separation from Acid Media

Cyanex extractants, such as Cyanex 272, Cyanex 301, and Cyanex 302 have been commercialized and widely used in the extraction and separation of metal ions in hydrometallurgy. Since Cyanex 301 and Cyanex 302 are the derivatives of Cyanex 272, these extractants have similar functional groups. In order to understand the different extraction behaviors of these extractants, an understanding of the relationship between their structure and reactivity is important. We reviewed the physicochemical properties of these extractants, such as their solubility in water, polymerization degree, acidity strength, extraction performance of metal ions, and the interaction with diluent and other extractants on the basis of their chemical structure. Synthetic methods for these extractants were also introduced. This information is of great value in the synthesis of new kinds of extractants for the extraction of metals from a diverse medium. From the literature, the extraction and stripping characteristics of metals by Cyanex 272 and its derivatives from inorganic acids such as HCl, H2SO4, and HNO3 were also reviewed. The replacement of oxygen with sulfur in the functional groups (P = O to P = S group) has two opposing effects. One is to enhance their acidity and extractability due to an increase in the stability of metal complexes, and the other is to make the stripping of metals from the loaded Cyanex 301 difficult.

N,N'-Bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine (Salen) as an Active Compound for the Recovery of Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) Ions from Aqueous Solutions

In this paper, three main methods of metal ion separation, i.e., liquid–liquid extraction, transport across polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs), and sorption/desorption, are described. In all of them, N,N’-bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine (salen) was used as an active compound, i.e., as an extractant or as a carrier for the recovery of Ni(II), Cu(II), or Zn(II) ions from aqueous solutions. In each case, the recovery was performed on a model solution, which contained only a single metal ion. The obtained results were compared with the author’s previous results for the separation of metal ions using β-diketones, since both β-diketones and salen form the so-called Werner-type complexes. Electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-HRMS) was also applied to confirm the ability of the carrier to form complexes with metal ions in a solution. Moreover, spectrophotometry was used to determine the stability constant of the obtained complexes.

Polymer Inclusion Membranes (PIMs) Doped with Alkylimidazole and their Application in the Separation of Non-Ferrous Metal Ions

The study involved the transport of zinc(II), cadmium(II), and nickel(II) ions from acidic aqueous solutions using polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs). PIMs consisted of cellulose triacetate (CTA) as a support; o-nitrophenyl pentyl ether (o-NPPE) as a plasticizer; and 1-octylimidazole (1), 1-octyl-2-methylimidazole (2), 1-octyl-4-methylimidazole (3), or 1-octyl-2,4-dimethylimidazole (4) as ion carriers. The membranes were characterized by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that Zn(II) and Cd(II) are effectively transported across PIMs, while Ni(II) transport is not effective. The rate of transport of metal ions across PIMs is determined by the diffusion rate of the M(II)-carrier complex across the membrane. The best result achieved for Zn(II) removal after 24 h was 95.5% for the ternary Zn(II)-Cd(II)-Ni(II) solution for PIM doped (4). For this membrane, the separation coefficients for Zn(II)/Cd(II), Zn(II)/Ni(II), and Cd(II)/Ni(II) were 2.8, 104.5, and 23.5, respectively. Additionally, the influence of basicity and structure of carrier molecules on transport kinetics was discussed.