Conclusions:

i) In order to have greater extraction, K_f should be as large as possible. This will mean that more of anion of the ligand must react with the metal ion to form the extractable complex MR_n.

ii) D is directly proportional to Kⁿ_a   i.e., acid dissociation constant of the ligand. This means that more is the dissociation of the ligand, HR, the more of free R- will be available for complexation with Mⁿ⁺ to form MR_n.

iii) Since D ∝ K_DX, it will mean that the complex should have maximum concentration in the organic phase. In other words, the complex should distribute itself such that [MR_n]_total  → [MR_n]_org.

iv) The next consideration is that D ∝ [HR]ⁿ⁺_o. It will amount to the fact that more concentration of the ligand should be available in the organic phase. For quantitative extraction, large concentration of the ligand is recommended to be used.

v) According to Eq. 3.11b, D is inversely proportional to KDR and [H⁺]_n. This means that KDR should be small. In order to have small KDR, [HR]_a should be large. In other words, the ligand should have maximum solubility in the aqueous phase to have better extraction. Finally, since the extraction is inversely proportional to hydrogen ion concentration, the extraction is expected to increase with the increasing pH.