The removal of Ni ion from an aqueous solution was carried out by solvent sublation of Ni-diacetyldioximesodium dodecylbenzensulphonic （sublate） into isopentanol. The ratio of surfactant to Ni-diacetyldioxime complex at 20：1 was most effective for the removal, with over 90% Ni ion removed from the aqueous solution within 1 h. The effects of electrolytes （e.g. NaCl）, non-hydrophobic organics （e.g. ethanol） and pH of the solution upon the process were well studied. The removal rate was enhanced by higher airflow rates but almost independent on the volume of the organic solvent floating on the top of the aqueous column. The process of solvent sublation followed first order kinetics. A characteristic parameter, the apparent activation energy of attachment of the sublate to bubbles, was estimated to be 8.99 kJ/mol. Furthermore, the simulation of a mathematical model with the experiment data on the solvent sublation of Ni-diacetyldioxime-SDS was proved to be validated.
