Selective ion-exchangers containing phosphorus in their functional groups

Abstract

A series of selective ion-exchangers was synthetized, containing phosphinic or phosphonic acid functional groups. The selective sorption of Sc³⁺, Fe³⁺, Ga³⁺, In³⁺, Al³⁺, La³⁺, Pb²⁺, Co²⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions in 0.1–4.0M HNO₃ medium was investigated using a batch experiment technique. The selectivity of these exchangers generally decreased in the order: Sc>Fe>In>Ga>Al>La>Pb>Cu>Co>Ca. The observed large differences in selectivity resulted in effective separation procedures of scandium from lanthanides, and gallium (or indium) from bivalent elements. The selective separation of these ions from their different mixtures is also possible.