To provide a method for recovering copper in high efficiency by efficiently separating iron and copper in a system of strongly acidic region where iron and copper are present as a mixture.
An organic solvent, in which calixarene as an extractant is diluted with alcohols or alcohols and aliphatic hydrocarbon, is brought into contact with an aqueous chloride solution in a strongly acidic region containing copper and iron to extract the copper in the aqueous chloride solution into the organic solvent. According to the type of the calixarene as the extractant, it is desirable to change the ratio of the alcohols to the sum of the alcohols and the aliphatic hydrocarbon within the range of 10 to 100 vol.%. Moreover, when an organic phosphorous compound containing sulfur is added to the organic solvent, selectivity of extraction of the copper can be improved to a greater extent.
MASUDA MIKI
NABESHIMA MASAHIRO
