SEQUENTIAL EXTRACTIVE SEPARATION OF PLATINUM(IV) AND PALLADIUM(II) FROM IODIDE MEDIA WITH MESITYL OXIDE

Liquid-liquid extractive separation of platinum(IV) and palladium(II) has been investigated as a function of iodide concentration with mesit yl oxide as extractant. The separation consists of one step of extract ion with mesityl oxide from an aqueous phase maintained at pH 4 and KI concentration in the range 10(-7)-10(-6) mol l(-1), 3 three step scru bbing with an aqueous phase maintained at pH 4 and 10(-6) mol l(-1) in KI and one step of stripping with 10 ml of water after addition of 40 ml of toluene to mesityl oxide phase. The liquid-liquid extraction be haviour of other noble and base metals has been studied: The above dev eloped separation procedure is highly selective as seen from recovery of platinum(IV) and palladium(II) from complex mixtures consisting of other noble and base metals.