Patent ID: 7972580

Claim:
A method of purifying a Bayer process stream, comprising: providing a liquid phase that comprises an organic salt, the liquid phase including at least 1 wt. % of the organic salt, based on the weight of the Bayer process stream, wherein the organic salt comprises a quaternary organic cation, and wherein the liquid phase is at least partially immiscible with the Bayer process stream; intermixing the Bayer process stream with the liquid phase in an amount effective to form a biphasic liquid/liquid mixture, wherein the biphasic liquid/liquid mixture comprises a primarily Bayer process phase and a primarily organic salt phase; and at least partially separating the primarily Bayer process phase from the primarily organic salt phase to form a separated primarily Bayer process phase having a reduced oxalate concentration and a separated primarily organic salt phase wherein the intermixing is effective to reduce the concentration of oxalate in the Bayer process stream by extraction from the Bayer process stream into the primarily organic salt phase.