Extraction of metal bromides from chloride brines with mixtures of molecular iodine and tributyl phosphate

The process of recovery by direct extraction of metal bromides from calcium chloride brines using mixtures of molecular iodine with tributyl phosphate has been studied. It was found that iodine significantly increases the recovery of the bromides of alkali and alkaline earth metals due to the formation of hydrophobic iodine complexes with the halide anions. Bromides of calcium and lithium are the most selectively extracted. The extracted complexes significantly dissociate into ions in the organic phase. The extraction of calcium halide over a wide range of its concentration in an aqueous solution results in the extraction of a mixed chloride-bromide salt. This is due to a significant difference in the separation factors for bromide and chloride ions in the interphase exchange reactions for the halide ions of the inner and outer coordination spheres of the extracted complex.