Process for the extraction of potassium from aqueous alkaline solution
AssigneeKerr-McGee Chemical Corporation
InventorRobert E. Davis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for liquid-liquid ion exchange of alkali metal ions. An alkaline aqueous phase containing potassium ions together with other alkali metal ions is contacted with an organic phase containing a polyol-boron-alkali metal complex. The organic phase preferentially extracts potassium values from the aqueous phase. The potassium values are separated from the polyol-boron-alkali metal complex by, for example, stripping with dilute sulfuric acid.
Claims8
A process for extracting potassium ions from an alkaline solution which comprises:
- providing an organic extractant comprising a polyol-boron-alkali metal complex in which at least a portion of the alkali metal ions are not potassium;
- contacting said alkaline solution containing potassium ions with said organic extractant to exchange potassium ions for at least a portion of the alkali metal ions other than potassium ions contained in said polyol-boron-alkali metal complex and displace said exchanged alkali metal ions from said complex into said alkaline solution;
- and
- separating the polyol-boron-potassium complex so produced from said alkaline solution.
The process of claim wherein contacting the alkaline solution with the polyol-boron-alkali metal complex is further defined as:
- contacting said polyol-boron-alkali metal complex with said alkaline solution in a ratio of from about 2:1 to about 1:2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.