Separation of large amounts of iron(III) from cobalt,nickel, and aliminum by combined ion exchange-solvent extraction

A method is described for the cation-exchange separation of large amounts of iron(III) from cobalt, nickel, and aluminium. On the strongly acidic Dowex 50-X8, iron(III) is not adsorbed from an 80% tetrahydrofuran-20% 3 M hydrochloric acid mixture, while cobalt, nickel, and aluminium are retained; a quantitative separation is thus possible. Cobalt and nickel or aluminium are then separated by elution with 90% tetrahydrofuran-10% 6 M hydrochloric acid. In these mixtures combined ion exchange-solvent extraction appears to occur; both ion exchange and liquid-liquid extraction are. effective simultaneously.