Recovery of bromide from sulfate comprising aqueous streams

A solvent extraction process for recovering bromide from a sulfate-containing aqueous stream, comprising:

• an extraction step, wherein said aqueous stream is mixed with an extraction medium comprising a tertiary amine extractant dissolved in one or more water-immiscible organic solvents, wherein the extraction medium is devoid of extractants other than said tertiary amine, wherein said mixing is carried out in a strongly acidic environment, thereby forming a bromide-containing extract and a raffinate with reduced bromide levels;
• a purification step, wherein the bromide-containing extract is treated with an aqueous bromide solution to form a bromide- enriched extract;
• and
• a washing step, wherein the bromide-enriched extract undergoes gradual neutralization and sulfate removal by combining same with a plurality of aqueous bases applied in succession, with phase separation taking place between each stage of basification to produce, after each stage, an aqueous bromide salt solution corresponding to the base employed and an organic medium with progressively increasing content of the tertiary amine in its free base form, wherein at least one of said successively applied aqueous bases—with the exception of the first—comprises a calcium source.