EXTRACTIVE SEPARATION OF VANADIUM (V) AND MOLYBDENUM (VI) FROM SULPHURIC ACID SOLUTION WITH 1- OCTANOL

Abstract

The extractive separation of Molybdenum (VI) and Vanadium (V) from sulphuric acid solution has been studied in the presence of KHSO₄ as salting-out agent with 1- octanol as extractant.The highest separation factor of molybdenum (VI) and vanadium (V) was 50.15 at optimum contact time of 5 min. The Optimum extraction conditions are temperature, 38⁰C, contact time, 5 min, phase ratio, 3:1 (O/A), exractant concentration, 90% v/v (1- octanol/ n-heptane). The ΔH values for extraction of V (V) and Mo (VI) are -2391 kJ/mol and-3740 kJ/mol which denote exothermic extraction. The percentage mass extracted of molybdenum (VI) and Vanadium (V) increased as the number of batch stages increase; At 1st stage % extracted of V(V) and Mo(VI) are 13.3 and 22.4, for 3rd stage 59.2 and 79.0 and 5th stage 80.0 and 92.0 respectively.. The stripping agents used are NaOH (0.1M, 0.2 M) H₂SO₄ (2M), 1M Ascorbic acid / 0.01M HCL, 14.5 M NH₃. Among these stripping agents 1M Ascorbic acid /0.01M HCl was the best stripping agent; 51.5 and 61.2% of V (V) and Mo (VI) were stripped respectively