PROCESS TO SEPARATE RHODIUM FROM AN ORGANIC MIXTURE

摘要

Process to separate rhodium from an organic mixture comprising mono-carboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, rhodium and a halide compound, wherein the following steps are performed: (1) contacting the organic mixture with an amount of water resulting in two separate phases, a first phase being an aqueous phase comprising rhodium and the dicarboxylic acids and a second phase being an organic phase comprising the mono-carboxylic acids, wherein during contacting the molar ratio of halide and rhodium is higher than 1:1; (2) separating the aqueous phase from the organic phase; (3) contacting the aqueous phase comprising the rhodium and the dicarboxylic acids with a sufficient amount of an apolar organic extraction solvent resulting in two separate liquid phases, being an aqueous phase comprising the dicarboxylic acids and an apolar organic phase comprising rhodium.