Abstract
Microfluidic solvent extraction, μSX, was studied as an alternative to conventional bulk extraction mineral processing. Fine streams of aqueous and organic liquids were contacted with a high degree of control and without dispersion of the two liquid phases using a microfluidic chip. The small cross-section of the two liquid streams permitted rapid transfer of metal ions, in this case Cu2+, after complexation by an extractant. The rate of transfer was compared to that in bulk extractions, with and without the addition of fine silica particles (sub-micron scale). The formation of crud in bulk extractions was completely averted using the microfluidic method, highlighting the potential for μSX to process leach solutions containing fine particles.