Origins of Clustering of Metalate–Extractant Complexes in Liquid–Liquid Extraction

Effective and energy-efficient separation of precious and rare metals is very important for a variety of advanced technologies. Liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) is a relatively less energy intensive separation technique, widely used in separation of lanthanides, actinides, and platinum group metals (PGMs). In LLE, the distribution of an ion between an aqueous phase and an organic phase is determined by enthalpic (coordination interactions) and...