A comparative study of the solvent extraction of vanadium in sulphate media using primary amine PRIMENE 81R and tertiary amine ALAMINE 336 dissolved in kerosene has been carried out. pH conditions for both amines., mechanism proposal and extraction isotherms have been determined, yielding best results for primary amine. Equilibrium studies were used to assess the conditions of vanadium recovery in a continuous counter-current process using leaching solutions. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.