Characteristic of synergistic extraction of oxalic acid with system from rare earth metallurgical wastewater

Large amount of high concentration acidic wastewater would be produced in the conversion process of chloride rare earth into oxide rare earth. It was a mixed solution of oxalic acid and hydrochloric acid, so the recycling use was very difficult. The method of liquid-liquid extraction was proposed in this paper to achieve wastewater treatment and reclamation. The mechanism of extraction of oxalic acid from the wastewater with the systems of 50% TOB+45% kerosene and 5% 2-ethyl hexanol was investigated. The composition and structure of the extracted species and the establishment of the mathematical model of the oxalic acid extraction were determined by the use of saturation method, equimolar series method. The results showed that extraction of oxalic acid by TOB was a neutral association extraction, oxalic acid existed mainly in a molecular form in the organic phase, and the extraction combination ratio was 2:1. The duality extraction system composed of extractant TOB and TOC had synergistic extraction effect on oxalic acid and chlorhydric acid, and the extraction distribution ratio was improved greatly. The optimum volume fraction of TOB was 0.6-0.8.