Metal extraction from a deep eutectic solvent, an insight into activities

The solvent extraction of gold, palladium, technetium, indium and rhenium from both mixtures of a deep eutectic solvent with aqueous salt solutions and of two different aqueous salt solutions has been performed. Initially using gold and then the other metals the solvent extraction results were interpreted using an activity coefficient/function equation (specific ion interaction theory). The most important presented result is the addition of a new term to the specific ion interaction theory equation. Using the new model it will be possible to make predictions of the behaviour of a solvent extraction system where one of the liquid phases is a mixture of aqueous salts and the deep eutectic solvent. By using the SIT equation and solvent extraction to consider activities of chloride and metal complexes in the aqueous and ethylene glycol layers, it is figuratively like viewing the system through a special lens which makes everything clearer.