Solvent extraction

Abstract

Reagents formulated by admixture of selected hydroxy aryl ketoxime and hydroxy aryl aldoxime extractants provide for efficient recovery of metal values, especially copper values, by solvent extraction processes. Specified kinetic and equilibrium conditions, which would require use of predetermined quantities of kinetic additives if ketoximes alone were employed or predetermined quantities of equilibrium modifiers if aldoximes were employed, are secured through formulation of reagents including both ketoxime and aldoxime extractants with less than the predetermined quantities of kinetic additive or equilibrium modifier. Reagents employed in methods of the invention may include from 0 to about 20 mole percent of a kinetic additive based on ketoxime content and also optionally a modifier of extraction and stripping equilibria in an amount providing a degree of modification of the aldoxime constituent of from about 0.75 to 1.0 and preferably from about 0.90 to 1.0.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.