Silica gel impregnated with a mixture of Aliquat 336 and Acid Orange 7 (Orange II) was used as a chelating sorbent for 14 metal ions: Na, K, Mg, Ca, Al, Zn, Cu, Cd, Fe(III), Mn, Pb, Cr(III), Co and Ni. The relative capacities of the sorbent toward the metal ions in the pH range 1-9, as well as the concentrations of HCl and HClO4 required for elution of the retained metals were determined. All the retained metals could be eluted with dilute solutions of HClO4 without elution of the chelating agent from the sorbent. The sorbent was used for preconcentration of trace amounts of some metals from aqueous solutions before their determination by AAS, for the separation of metal ion mixtures by column - extraction chromatography and for additional purification of some salt solutions from trace amounts of Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu. The effectiveness of purification was confirmed by anodic stripping voltammetry.