Preliminary design of a solvent extraction process for the galvanic stripping of iron from D2EHPA

The inability to economically separate Fe3+(aq) front a variety of liquid e ffluents is a major concern for the primary metals industry. A unique solve nt extraction process, galvanic stripping, has been del eloped to address t his problem. The galvanic stripping of iron from D2EHPA using only a 5 simi lar to 10 g/L H2SO4 solution is achieved after Fe3+ is directly reduced to Fe2+ iii the organic phase using zinc metal additions. To date, the primary focus of the laboratory research has been on optimizing the parameters tha t control iron removal. The results from these studies have now been used t o mice a preliminary design for a continuous flow process that is envisione d for zinc industrial applications. Specific quantitative data are shown fo r the use of a Zn-Pb alloy in the iron-removal process. Some introductory r esults sri electrochemical potential measurements and impurity distribution with solution cycling are also given.