Chemical Equilibrium and Synergism for Solvent Extraction of Trace Lithium with Thenoyltrifluoroacetone in the Presence of Trioctylphosphine Oxide

Abstract

Equilibria and applications of a synergistic extraction were studied for the determination of a trace lithium by using thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) and trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) as ligands. Several equations were derived for the extraction of lithium into m-xylene as a phase of Li-TTA·mTOPO adduct. Distribution coefficients and extraction constant were determined together with a stability constant of the adduct. The adduct was quantitatively extracted from the basic solution of higher than pH 9 by shaking for 30 minutes. m-Xylene was selected as an optimum solvent by comparing the extraction efficiency among several kinds of organic solvents. The stability constant (β2) for Li-TTA/2TOPO was 150 times higher than Li-TTA/TOPO. The distribution coefficient of Li-TTA/2TOPO into m-xylene was 9.12 and the logarithmic extraction constant (log Kex) was 6.76. Trace lithium of sub-ppm level in seawater samples could be determined under modified conditions and a detection limit equivalent to 3 times standard deviation for background absorption was 0.42 ng/mL.