Quantitative separation of gallium from zinc, copper, indium, iron(III) and other elements by cation-exchange chromatography in hydrobromic acid-acetone medium

Gallium can be separated from Zn, Cu(II), In, Cd, Pb(II), Bi(III), Au(III), Pt(IV), Pd(II), Tl(III), Sn(IV) and Fe(III) by elution of these elements with 0.50M hydrobromic acid in 80% acetone medium, from a column of AG50W-X4 cation-exchange resin. Gallium is retained and can be eluted with 3M hydrochloric acid. Separations are sharp and quantitative except for iron(III) which shows extensive tailing. With 0.20M hydrobromic acid in 80% acetone as eluting agent, all the species above except iron(III) and copper(II) can be separated from gallium with very large separation factors. Only a 1-g resin column and small elution volumes are required to separate trace amounts and up to 0.5 mmole of gallium from more than 1 g of zinc or the other elements. Hg(II), Rh(III), Ir(IV), Se(IV), Ge(IV), As(III) and Sb(III) have not been investigated, but should be separated together with zinc according to their known distribution coefficients. Relevant elution curves, results for the analysis of synthetic mixtures and for amounts of some elements remaining in the gallium fraction are presented.