Separation of Mercury(Ⅱ) by Floatation from Aqueous Solution Containg Ammonium Chloride Ammonium Thiocyanate and Dodecyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide

It was found that a sparingly soluble ternary association compound,Hg(Ⅱ)-NH4SCN-DTAB,was formed in an aqueous solution,containing 1.0 g of NH4Cl,0.5 mL of 0.1 mmol·L-1 NH4SCN solution and 1.0 mL of 1×10-3mol·L-1 dodecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (DTAB) solution,in a total volume of 10 mL.The ternary complex was floated above the surface of the aqueous salt phase forming a clear cut between the two phases.It was also found that under the condition mentioned above quantitaitve separation of Hg(Ⅱ) was attained,while none of the metal ions,Zn2+,Mn2+,Ni2+,Co2+,Cu2+ and Cd2+,was floated under the same condition.As shown by experimental results,the rate of floatation of Hg(Ⅱ) from solutions in the presence of the metal ions mentioned above was found in the range of 98.2%-102.0%.