Micellar Extraction of Zinc with Di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric Acid and the Addition of the Cationic Surfactant Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide

Abstract

The addition of surfactants can influence extraction processes. In cases where the surfactant concentration is above the critical micelle concentration, the mass transfer rate increases due to the formation of inverse micelles and, thus, through the mechanism of micellar extraction of zinc. The influence of the added surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide on zinc extraction with the cation exchanger di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid was analyzed based on extraction equilibrium and mass transfer experiments. The observed experimental results are explained phenomenologically.