Patent ID: 8585903

Claim:
A method for treating a first aqueous solution to remove at least one metal ion and at least one anion from the first aqueous solution, comprising: (a) mixing the first aqueous solution with an extractant phase to form a first unstable emulsion having an equilibrium pH of about 2 to about 12, wherein the extractant phase comprises: (i) an extractant that forms a floc with the at least one metal ion and the at least one anion, wherein the extractant comprises a positively charged molecule having at least 8 carbon atoms, and an anionic base; (ii) an optional diluent; and (iii) an optional modifier for modifying phase disengagement; (b) disengaging a first treated aqueous phase and a first loaded extractant phase from the first unstable emulsion, wherein a floc is present in the first loaded extractant phase; (c) separating the first loaded extractant phase from the first treated aqueous phase, wherein the at least one metal ion and the at least one anion are present in the first loaded extractant phase; and further comprising stripping the metal ions from the first loaded extractant phase by: (d) mixing the first loaded extractant phase with an aqueous acid solution to form a second unstable emulsion; wherein the metal ions in the first loaded extractant phase are dissolved into the aqueous acid solution, and (e) disengaging a first loaded aqueous acid phase and a first metal ion stripped extractant phase from the second unstable emulsion.