Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction equilibrium of gallium(III) with 2-methyl-8-quinolinol and 2-methyl-5-butyloxymethyl-8-quinolinol.

This work performed fundamental studies for the extraction of gallium(III) with 2-methyl-8-quinolinol (HMQ) and 2-methyl-5-butyloxymethyl-8-quinolinol (HMO(4)Q) into supercritical carbon dioxide (SF-CO(2)) from a weakly acidic solution. The distribution constants of HMO(4)Q between aqueous and SF-CO(2) phases were determined at 45 degrees C, 8.6-20.4 MPa and I=0.1 M (H, Na)NO(3) (M=mol dm(-3)). At 45 degrees C and 15.7 MPa, gallium(III) was hardly extracted with HMQ into SF-CO(2), but was quantitatively extracted with HMO(4)Q in the pH range of 2.20-2.84. The extraction constant, K(ex, SF-CO(2)) (=Ga(OH)(MO(4)Q)(2)H(+)Ga(3+)HMO(4)Q(-2)), of gallium(III) with HMO(4)Q was determined to be 10(-2.6+/-0.1) at 45 degrees C, 15.7 MPa and I=0.1 M (H, Na)NO(3), which was 63 times larger than that in heptane at 45 degrees C and 0.10 MPa. It was also found that the addition of 3,5-dichlorophenol as a synergist enhanced the extractability of gallium(III) with HMO(4)Q into SF-CO(2).