Extraction kinetics of Fe(III) by di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid using a Y-Y shaped microfluidic device

The extraction kinetics of FeIII by di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) were investigated using a Y-Y shaped microfluidic device. Finite-volume simulations were used to examine the accuracy of a single-step dimeric reaction mechanism in fitting the experimental data. Results demonstrate the validity of the proposed mechanism and show that FeIII extraction occurred at a slow rate (second-order forward rate constant of k1 = (3.0 ± 0.1) × 10−6 m4/mol s) under a mixed reaction-diffusion resistance regime. The present study provides insight for the control of FeIII extraction rates in hydrometallurgical processes.