Effect of acetate medium on the extraction of cobalt(II) with Di(2‐ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid dissolved in kerosene

In this paper, the effect of acetate ion (OAc⁻) on the extraction of cobalt(II) from sulfate media with kerosene solutions of di(2‐ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA, HR) was investigated at 25°C. In the absence of acetate ions, the composition of the extracted species was graphically determined to be CoR₂(HR)₂ at low loading of D2EHPA (α < 0.06). In the presence of acetate medium, the acetate ions were co‐extracted and the mixed complexes of the type Co₂OAc_qR_4‐p(HR), were formed at a relatively higher loading of D2EHPA (0.10 < α < 0.34), where q = 0–4 and r = 2–4 depending on the concentration of acetate ions.