gallium extraction from jajarm bayer process liquor using micro-emulsions

gallium extraction from jajarm bayer process liquor (jajarm, iran) was investigated using microemulsions. also the behavior of aluminum was studied as an impurity. kelex100 (4-ethyl, 1-methyl, 7-octyl, 8-hydroxyquinoleine), iso-decanol and n-butanol, and kerosene were used as the surfactant, co-surfactant, and oil phase, respectively. ternary phase diagrams were produced using various co-surfactants at different c/s ratios. the results obtained show that winsor ii is the predominant region, and the least area was obtained using iso-decanol at c/s = 4. using n-butanol or iso-decanol at c/s = 2, 100% of gallium was extracted. the equations of the statistical models for the gallium and aluminum extractions using different co-surfactants were calculated. while the highest gallium extraction (100%) was obtained using n-butanol, due to the high co-extraction of aluminum, the lowest separation and enrichment factors were obtained for this system. the highest separation and enrichment factors were obtained using iso-decanol at c/s = 2. the point with the compositions of xaf = 30, xof = 20, and xc/s = 50 was found to be a suitable choice, and led to 74% and 14% extractions for gallium and aluminum, respectively. an enrichment factor of 5.28 was obtained.