Investigation of diluent effect on extraction of citric acid by trioctyl methyl ammonium chloride plus organic solutions

Organic solutions of amines are increasingly being used to separate organic acids from aqueous solutions by reactive extraction. This article deals with experimental investigations of the extraction of citric acid using mixtures of trioctyl methylammonium chloride + cyclohexane, 2,2,4-trimethyl pentane, 1-butanol, toluene, methyl isobutyl ketone, and ethyl acetate. All measurements were carried out at 298.15 K. Experimental results of batch extraction experiments are reported as distribution coefficients (D), loading factors (Z), and extraction efficiency (E). The maximum extraction efficiency of citric acid has been found to be 57% with 2,2,4-trimethyl pentane and methyl isobutyl ketone for 1.74 mol center dot L-1 initial concentration of trioctyl methylammonium chloride