Extraction of thiocyanate complexes of cobalt(II) by diphenyl-2-pyridylmethane in benzene from mineral acid solutions

Extraction of Co(II) by diphenyl-2-pyridylmethane (DPPM) in benzene form mineral acid solutions containing potassium thiocyanate has been studied at room temperature (23±2°C). Its extraction from mineral acids alone is rather poor. Optimal aqueous phase composition for the quantitative extraction of Co(II) by 0.1M DPPM is 0.1M acid+0.2M KSCN. Stoichiometric studies indicate that an ionic type complex, (DPPM·H)₂·Co(SCN)₄, is responsible for extraction. The metal can be back-extracted from the organic phase by aqueous acetate, citrate or oxalate solutions. Separation factors from other metals determined under optimal conditions reveal that Co(II) can be quantitatively separated from CsI), Sr(II), Cr(III), Ln(III), Zr(IV), Hf(IV), Cr(VI) and Tc(VII), Mo(VI), Zn(II), Au(III), Hg(II) and U(VI) are, however, coextracted and hence should be previously removed by other techniques or reagents.