Extraction processes and industrial cases
The iodine

Processes differ according to the three main types of resource: nitrates, brines and phosphates.

To extract iodine from caliche, all soluble salts are usually brought into solution in pits or heaps, and more recently in stirred reactors. Iodine can be recovered by combining oxidation (by Cl₂ , H₂O₂) and/or reduction (SO₂ , $\text{HS}{\text{O}}_3^{-}$) reactions and various I₂ separation techniques (flotation, extraction in kerosene, blowing out process, etc.).

To extract iodine from oil and gas brines, blowing out and ion exchange processes are used.

Phosphate iodine is recovered from the gases and dusts resulting from the roasting of organic-rich phosphates, by...