Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (universally designated in the hydrometallurgical industry as D2EHPA, DEHPA, HDEHP, or P204) is the world’s most widely utilized acidic organophosphorus solvent extraction (SX) reagent. Featuring a symmetric, branched di-ester molecular structure, this compound serves as the primary chemical workhorse for separating multivalent metal ions in base metal refining, lithium-ion battery recycling, and lanthanide processing.
Chemical Information:
- Common Names: Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid, DEHPA, HDEHP
- CAS Number: 298-07-7
- EINECS Number: 206-056-4
- Chemical Formula: C16H35O4P
- Molar Mass: 322.43 g/mol
- Density: 0.972 g/mL
- Melting Point: -50°C
- Boiling Point: 393°C
- Content: 96.99%
Core Industrial Applications:
By managing the operational pH of the incoming pregnant leach solution, plants can isolate specific targets cleanly:
A. EV Battery Recycling:
In closed-loop hydrometallurgical recycling of ternary lithium-ion batteries, separating manganese from cobalt and nickel.
D2EHPA reaches its peak loading capacity for manganese while completely rejecting cobalt and nickel into the raffinate, creating a clean downstream path for high-purity cathode precursor production.
B. Zinc Hydrometallurgy & Zinc Electrowinning:
D2EHPA is the baseline reagent for the purification of zinc from sulfuric acid leach liquors. It selectively extracts zinc away from vast backgrounds of calcium, magnesium, and aluminum, concentrating the zinc into a high-tenor advance electrolyte suitable for direct electrowinning cell houses.
C. Rare Earth Element (REE) Processing:
Used in the initial fractionation stages of lanthanide refining blocks to separate light rare earth elements (LREEs) from heavy rare earth elements (HREEs). Because HREEs bind more strongly to the phosphoric acid matrix, they are selectively loaded while LREEs pass through the mixer cascades.
Conclusion
Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (DEHPA) is a vital chemical in various industrial applications, particularly in metal extraction and environmental remediation. With its favorable chemical properties, it plays an essential role in improving efficiency in metal recovery operations.
If you need more specific information or have further questions about DEHPA, please contact us.
By the way, our metal extractants as below, if you need, please feel free to ask us:
- P204 (D2EHPA or HDEHP) This is used for first step to remove impurity for laterite nickel ore.
- P507 non-ferrous metal extractant for copper, zinc, cobalt-nickel, cadmium, gold-silver, platinum group metals, rare earths and so on.
- DY272 Nickel cobalt separation extractant, it can take cobalt out from nickel cobalt solution, then leave pure nickel.
- DY984N copper solvent extraction reagent.
- QL256-2 Nickel Cobalt Manganese co extraction Extractant.
- DY316 Lithium extractant.
- DY319 high efficiency nickel cobalt co-extraction extractant for battery recycling, can take out nickel and cobalt together from Lithium battery electrolyte.
- DY366 Scandium extractant.
- DY377 efficient nickel and diamond separation extractant.
