SOLVEX: The past, the present and the future

SOLVEX - The Solvent Extraction Database has been established at Warren Spring Laboratory, in association with a consortium of member companies of the Mineral Industry Research Organisation (MIRO), since 1974. The project was originally initiated to fulfil the need for a comprehensive source of quantitative information, on Solvent Extraction, compiled into a standard format. Originally the data were presented in an indexed loose leaf form. Computerisation offered considerably enhancement of both the value of the database and the facilities that could be offered. However, many commercial databases available today fail to provide a method for simple data retrieval; they rely substantially on users familarising themselves with, sometimes quite complex, query languages and the precise structure of the database. Therefore to overcome this problem the computerisation process for SOLVEX included the development of a menu-driven user interface to allow rapid, selective data retrieval and reporting. At the start of the project the bulk of the data concentrated upon distribution and kinetic data for the base metals. Since the computerisation procedure has been completed and to support the increasing industrial interest, the range of data covered has been expanded to cover nearly all metals particularly the exotics. The database is not restricted to performance data alone, a significant proportion of the data is concerned with the physical properties of reagents, and on physicochemical data such as viscosity, interfacial tension, solubility, specific gravity and toxicity. In addition there are comprehensive sections on commercial information and references. The database provides a qualitative guide towards the development of Solvent Extraction processes. It can be used to eliminate unsuitable reagents and to help the process designer define the optimum experimental conditions. This paper details the structure and development of the database. The benefits such a system offers to both the process designer and reagent manufacturer are discussed. Future plans for database development are outlined.