Liquid Extraction Of Metal 111 Electrical Fields

More recently, Solvent Extraction of Copper from aqueous solution has been an area for considerable research and development. The present programme has gone a stage further by investigating the separation of copper from mixed solutions cf copper and iron in Electrical fields. The work was carried out in a countercurrent column which gave differential as opposed to the stage contact of previous workers. Continuous transfer of material between phases occurs resulting in the differential change of concentration of each phase as they pass through the column. At any given level in the column, departures from equilibrium provided the driving force for mass transfer. In electrical fields, research carried out in the department, STEWART , BROWN , BAILES have shown that in non—aqueous system, application of a direct current potential difference across two parallel plates produced small droplets from the charged nozzle which gave rise to a large interfacial area for diffusion. These droplets because of the field are accelerated through the continuous phase thereby promoting interfacial shear, and also causing a reduction in contact time because of the high velocities.