LIQUID-MEMBRANE TRANSPORT OF GOLD BY A TRIOCTYLAMINE MOBILE CARRIER

Liquid-liquid extraction and the membrane transport of gold(III) have been studied using trioctylamine (TOA). Gold(III) was efficiently extracted with TOA from an HCl solution. The extracted Au-III was instantaneously stripped by an HClO4 or HNO3 solution, and subsequently re-extracted at a slow rate. The transport of Au-III was performed across a supported liquid membrane (SLM) impregnated with TOA from an HCl feed solution into an HClO4 product solution. Most of the Au-III was transported with a reasonable enrichment factor, closely corresponding to the feed-to-product volume ratio.