Extraction equilibria of some transition metal ions by bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphinic acid

Measurements of dimerization constants (K(d,HR)) and distribution constants (K(D,HR)) of bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphinic acid (PIA-8) in three kinds of organic diluents were carried out by a potentiometric two-phase titration technique at 298 +/- 0.1 K. Extraction of iron(III), zinc(II), copper(II), manganese(II), cadmium(II), cobalt(II) and nickel(II) by PIA-8 from 1.0 mol dm(-3) ammonium sulfate solution into heptane was investigated as a function of pH and extractant concentration. The data have been analyzed both graphically and numerically to determine the stoichiometry of extracted species and their extraction constants. The extracted metal species were found to be FeR(3) . 2HR for iron(III), ZnR(2) and ZnR(2) . 3HR for zinc(II), CuR(2) . HR and CuR(2) . 5HR for copper(II), MnR(2) . 2HR and MnR(2) . 3HR for manganese(II), CdR(2) . 3HR for cadmium(II), CoR(2) . HR and CoR(2) . 4HR for cobalt(II) and NiR(2) . 3HR and NiR(2) . 6HR for nickel(II), respectively.