Diluent-Modified Impregnates for the Selective Extraction of Copper

Abstract

Inert diluents were included in resin impregnates of copper selective reagents to improve their selectivity for copper over iron(III). The modified impregnates performed similarly to conventional ones in other respects with the exception that the loading rates were generally slower. This is a problem that can be overcome to some extent by the correct combination of resin matrix, diluent, and reagent. However, there appears to be a trade-off between diluent loss and kinetics.