The extraction of beryllium by triisooctylamine in the presence of oxalate ion.

Abstract

Beryllium ions can be extracted into organic solvents by tertiary amines, in the presence of compounds which give rise to anionic complexes. The nature of the extracted species has been investigated for the system beryllium/oxalate/triisooctylamine; it appears to be Be(C2O4)2 [Nh(i-C8H15)3]2. The beryllium/oxalate/water system has been examined by the method of pH titration in the absence of the organic phase. Under the conditions chosen, the dissociation constants for oxalic acid were found to be K1= 4.64 x 10-2 and k2 = 1.20 x 10-4, and the stability constants for the beryllium oxalate complexes β1=6.32 x 10³ and β2 =3.91 x 10 5.