Extraction and separation of mercury(II) from succinate media with high molecular weight amine as an extractant

The extraction of mercury(II) from succinate solutions by 2-octylaminopyridine (2-OAP) has been studied by metal distribution measurements. The optimum extraction conditions were determined from a critical study of effects of pH, sodium succinate concentration and 2-octylaminopyridine concentration. The probable composition of the species has been deduced from log–log plots. The extraction reaction proceeds with ion-pair formation and the stoichiometry of extracted species was found to be [(2OAPH+)2 Hg(Succinate)22−](org). The method has been used to separate mercury(II) from commonly associated elements. The method has been further extended to separate and to estimate mercury in synthetic mixtures and real samples.