Water coextraction with tri-n-octylamine(TOA) based on chemical complexation

A series of extraction equilibrium experiments were carried out systematically for dilute acetic acid and butyric acid solutions using tri-n-octylamine (TOA) as a camplexing agent and l-octanol or benzene as a diluent. The FT-IR spectra of solvents loaded with organic acids and water were determined. The effects of campositions of mixed solvent, diluent, and solute concentrations on the coextracted water corcentration were discussed The results are beneficial for optimising mixed solvent composition and for enhancing the extraction process.