Kinetics of Extracting Copper from Alkaline Cyanide Solution by Trialkyl-Methyl Ammonium Chloride

Study on the kinetics of extracting copper from alkaline cyanide solution by trialkyl-methyl ammonium chloride (N_(263)) was carried out in a Lewis cell.Experimental results showed that the stirring speed of agitators in the two phases did not seem to have any significant effect on the extracting rate of copper. However, the extracting rate of copper was apparently proportional to the interracial area between the two phases and the concentration of extractant. The value of activation energy for the extracting process was determined to be 18.750 kJ/mol. It was found from theoretical analyses and experimental data that the solvent extraction of copper with N_(263) was a process in which the chemical reaction and diffusion took place simultaneously inside the water membrane and a feature of interracial chemical reaction was characterized. Mathematical model was established from experimental results obtained and the average deviation of computed values from experimental data was found to be 4.9%.