Extraction of lithium from salt lake brine with triisobutyl phosphate in ionic liquid and kerosene

Abstract

Three ionic liquids(ILs), namely, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl] imide with the triisobutyl phosphate(TIBP) and kerosene system were respectively used to extract lithium ion from salt lake brine with a high concentration ratio of magnesium and lithium experimentally. Results indicate that the highest extraction selectivity for lithium was obtained with IL 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)-sulfonyl]imide. The effects of solution pH and phase ratio R(O/A) on the extractive step and the influence of acid concentration of the stripping solution and R(O/A) on the back extraction step were also investigated systematically. The single-step extraction efficiency of lithium ion was 83.71% under the optimal extraction conditions, and the single-step back extraction efficiency was 85.61% with a 1.0 mol/L HCl in 1.0 mol/L NaCl medium as stripping agent at R(O/A)=2. The liquid-liquid extraction mechanism and the complex of the ligand with lithium were proposed.