Recovery of alkali salt by supercritical fluid leaching method using carbon dioxide

Watanabe, Takeshi*; Tsushima, Satoru*; Yamamoto, Ichiro*; Tomioka, Osamu ; Meguro, Yoshihiro  ; Nakashima, Mikio; Wada, Ryutaro*; Nagase, Yoshiyuki*; Fukuzato, Ryuichi*

Recovery of salts by supercritical fluid leaching (SFL) method using carbon dioxide was experimentally studied. It was confirmed that LiCl was recovered with a mixed fluid of carbon dioxide and methanol, and KCl and SrCl were recovered with a mixed fluid of carbon dioxide, methanol and crown ether. The influence of crown ether for KCl and SrCl extraction were found to increase in the order of 15-crown-5 (15C5) 18-crown-6 (18C6) dicychlohexyl-18-crown-6 (DC18C6). It is expected that other salts can be recovered selectively with a mixed fluid of carbon dioxide, methanol and suitable crown ether.