Abstract
Partition equilibria and solution chemistry of the system GaCl3-AlCl3-HCl-H2O-tributyl phosphate is characterized by a simultaneous extraction of gallium chloride, hydrochloric acid, and water by a solvating mechanism. The salting-out power of the aqueous phase was explained by taking into account the stability of aluminum chloride and gallium chloride complex species and the calculated concentration of free chloride ions actually available for the extraction of gallium. Three gallium extraction mechanisms in the range of compositions studied are the extraction of GaCl3 at low H+ and salt concentrations, the extraction of GaCl- 4 at moderate H+ and salt concentrations, and the competition between the extraction of GaCL-4 and an HC1-TBP complex at high H+ and salt concentrations. The extraction of gallium over a wide range of distribution ratios (D = 1 to 1 x 104) could be represented by a chemically based model taking into account the free chloride concentration and the activity coefficient of the total chloride ions.
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