Method for isolation of 3-hydroxy steroids and 3-keto steroids

In a process for the isolation of 3-hydroxy steroids and 3-keto steroids from a mixture thereof with lipids by dissolving the mixture in an organic solvent, mixing the dissolved mixture with a metal salt to form insoluble adducts of the steroids and a metal salt, separating the insoluble adducts, and splitting the adducts to regenerate the free steroid, the improvement which comprises employing as the solvent methyl isobutyl ketone, methyl n-amyl ketone or a mixture thereof and employing calcium bromide as the metal salt.