Recovery of rhodium by solvent extraction using -hexahexyl-nitrilotriacetamide and electrodeposition

Matsumiya, Masahiko*; Tokumitsu, Shun*; Mishima, Takumi*; Sasaki, Yuji  

The extraction behavior of Rh(III) with Hexahexyl-nitrilotriacetamide, NTAamide(C6) was investigated in three different diluents (acetophenone, AP, 1,2-dichloroethane, DCE, and 1-octanol, OC). The electrochemical behavior of the extracted Rh(III) complex in each diluent was investigated from linear sweep voltammetry. It was revealed that Rh(III) was reduced to Rh(0) metal by a three electron transfer in NTAamide(C6)/AP, DCE and OC system. The electrodeposits can be recovered from continuous solvent extraction and direct electrodeposition. The electrodeposits were identified by XPS and XRD analyses as mainly Rh metal.