Microfluidic solvent extraction of platinum and palladium from a chloride leach solution using Alamine 336

Microfluidic solvent extraction (μSX) of platinum and palladium from chloride leach solution using Alamine 336 had been conducted. The leach solution was produced by leaching of spent automotive catalysts. A microfluidic Y–Y channel embedded in a Pyrex™ microchip was used as the extraction system. Platinum and palladium extractions (>99%) occurred at μSX contact time as fast as 1 s with subsequent marginal extraction efficiency increases for longer contact times with comparable extraction performance to that of bulk SX. Findings from this preliminary study are useful in initiating a new metallurgical technique in the field of recovering precious (high-value) metals present in low concentrations which are otherwise not technically amenable (or economically viable) to extraction using current conventional methods.