Polyurethane foam extraction of platinum-tin halide complexes

The sorptive capacity of the polyether-based foam was determined to be between 0.85 and 0.92 moles/kg for the platinum-tin(II) chloride complex. At hydrochloric and hydrobromic acid concentrations up to 3.0M, the platinum-tin(II) bromide complex had higher extraction efficiencies than the platinum-tin(II) chloride complex. Sorptions were optimized at 5.0M hydrochloric acid and 3.0M hydrobromic acid and distribution ratios as high as 2.0 x 10(5) 1./kg were observed at high foam:platinum ratios. The percent of platinum extracted increased when the alkali metal cations are added in the order K(+) < Na(+) < Li(+) for polyether foam, and decreased in the order K(+) > Na(+) > Li(+) for polyester foam. Also, the sorption efficiencies increased as the proportion of poly(ethylene oxide) of the foam was increased. A Scatchard plot analysis shows that there is a 2:1 ratio of loosely bound platinum to tightly bound platinum with the polyether foam, however, the experimental results are consistent with a weak-base anion exchange mechanism as the prominent method of sorption. For polyester foam, results are consistent with a solvent-like ion-pair sorption mechanism.