Selective removal of iron(III) from highly salted chloride acidic solutions by solvent extraction using di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate

Metal ions including Fe³⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺ and Cu²⁺ are commonly found in the leaching solution of laterite-nickel ores, and the pre-removal of Fe³⁺ is extremely important for the recovery of nickel and cobalt. Di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate acid (D2EHPA) showed high extraction rate and selectivity of Fe³⁺ over other metal ions. The acidity of the aqueous solution is crucial to the extraction of Fe³⁺, and the stoichiometry ratio between Fe³⁺ and the extractant is 0.86:1.54. The enthalpy for the extraction of Fe³⁺ using D2EHPA was 19.50 kJ/mol. The extraction of Fe³⁺ was ≥99% under the optimized conditions after a three-stage solvent extraction process. The iron stripping effects of different reagents showed an order of H₂C₂O₄>NH₄HCO₃>HCl>NaCl>NaHCO₃>Na₂SO₃. The stripping of Fe was ≥99% under the optimized conditions using H₂C₂O₄ as a stripping reagent.