A study on liquid liquid extraction of cadmium based on KI ethanol in the presence of ammonium sulphate has been performed. It shows that the charged complex compound CdI 2- 4 could be easily extracted into the ethanol phase. Common ions such as Fe 3+ , Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Mn 2+ , Zn 2+ , Al 3+ and Cr 3+ would not be extracted into the ethanol phase and Cd 2+ could be separated completely from them by mixture of 3.0 g (NH 4) 2SO 4 and 0.2 g KI in 10.0 mL 30%(volume fraction) ethanol solution at pH=1~5.