The kinetics of the extraction of copper from sulphate media with a hydroxyoxime chelating extractant was studied using a single-drop technique. A simple kinetic scheme involving the species adsorbed at the aqueous-organic interface was proposed. Assuming the extreme conditions of chemical reaction control to apply, the extraction rates were found to be directly proportional to both copper (II) ion and monomeric oxime concentrations and inversely proportional to hydrogen ion concentration. These results support the reaction scheme proposed.
The ratio of the rate constant for the n-heptane diluent system to that for the toluene diluent system was found to be as large as 20. This effect is thought to occur owing to the interfacial population density of adsorbed species and the free monomeric oxime content in the organic phase.