Process for removing fluorine compounds from phosphoric acid

Claim 1

A process for removing fluorine compounds from aqueous phosphoric acid containing the same, said process comprising (1) contacting said phosphoric acid with a water insoluble extractant comprising a mixture, dissolved in an organic diluent, of a silane represented by the formula ##EQU1##wherein from one to two of R I , R II , R III and R IV are selected from the group consisting of --OH, --Cl, and --OR, R being an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and the remaining R I , R II , R III and R IV are selected from the group consisting of alkyl, phenyl, and alkyl phenyl, said remaining R I , R II , R III and R IV containing a total of from 12 to 25 carbon atoms; and an amine compound selected from the group consisting of: a. long-chain hydrocarbyl amines represented by the formula ##EQU2##R 1 and R 2 each being selected from the group consisting of saturated and ethylenically unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbyl groups containing from 7 to 15 carbon atoms and R 3 being selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and saturated and ethylenically unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbyl groups containing from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; b. salts of said long-chain hydrocarbyl amines represented by the formula ##EQU3##n being an integer from 1 to 3 and X being an anion of a mineral acid having a K.sub.α greater than 8 × 10 - 3 ; the weight ratio of said silane to said amine being from 20 to 1 to 1 to 20 and said extractant being used in sufficient amount to extract fluorine compounds from said phosphoric acid and to form a water-immiscible extractant phase, (2) separating said extractant containing extracted fluorine compounds from said phosphoric acid and (3) further contacting the separated extractant with an aqueous basic solution and removing fluorine compounds from said extractant.