Liquid-liquid extraction is a commonly used separation method for extracting and separating one or more components from one liquid phase that have better solubility in another liquid phase. In liquid-liquid extraction, the most common systems are acidic and alkaline.
1. Acidic system.
Acidic systems are one of the most commonly used liquid-liquid extraction systems, and they are commonly used to extract and separate metal ions from acidic solutions. In this system, an acidic organic solvent (e.g., tributyl phosphate) is used as an extractant, which can form a stable complex with metal ions, thus enabling the extraction of metal ions. For example, copper ions can be extracted from acidic solutions containing copper ions using an acidic system.
Second, the alkaline system.
Alkaline systems are another commonly used liquid-liquid extraction system that is commonly used to extract and separate metal ions from alkaline solutions. In this system, an alkaline organic solvent (e.g., amines) is used as an extractant, which can form a stable complex with metal ions, thereby enabling the extraction of metal ions. For example, an alkaline system can be used to extract zinc ions from an alkaline solution containing zinc ions.
In addition to acidic and alkaline systems, there are some other commonly used liquid-liquid extraction systems, such as neutral systems and complexed systems. Neutral systems are typically used to extract and separate metal ions from neutral solutions, while complexed systems are typically used to extract and separate metal ions from solutions containing ligands.