Quantitative estimation of ferric iron by arsenic acid in aqueous-alcoholic medium

Summary The solubility of arsenato complexes with ferric chloride is considerably reduced by adding a non-aqueous solvent such as ethyl alcohol or acetone. As already had been done in the case of phosphoric acid² this property was availed of for the estimation of ferric iron directly with a standard solution of arsenic acid in aqueous nonaqueous medium using K₄Fe(CN)₆ or cupferron as external indicators. A slight discrepancy at the end point, however, exists but can be removed by applying a correction factor (1.02) determined from our observations.     

Determination of uranium in wet phosphoric acid by extraction with octylphenylphosphoric acid

A method for quantitative determination of uranium in phosphoric acid and wet phosphoric acid has been developed. After reduction with Fe, uranium(IV) is extracted with a kerosene solution of octylphenylphosphoric acid. The uranium was stripped with 10M H₃PO₄, containing H₂O₂, and then determined spectrophotometrically with Arsenazo III and by direct uranium(IV)-phosphoric acid solution measurements.     

Effect of oxidation-reduction on the extraction of uranium from wet phosphoric acid by DEHPA/TOPO

Uranium is recovered from wet phosphoric acid by DEHPA/TOPO in kerosene. Uranium is present in wet phosphoric acid in the tetravalent and hexavalent states but DEHPA/TOPO extracts uranium in the hexavalent state only. The ratio of U⁴⁺/U⁶⁺ depends on several factors such as the origin of the phosphate rock, the method of preparation of phosphoric acid and the presence of other impurities. Therefore it is important to oxidize the wet acid to convert all uranium to U⁶⁺ before extraction. Uranium is stripped from the solvent by a reverse process where a concentrated phosphoric acid is used under reducing conditions. This paper studies the oxidation of wet phosphoric acid from Homs plant/Syria by H₂O₂ oxidant and the effect of oxidation on extraction coefficientK. It also studies the reduction by iron and its effect on back extraction of uranium from the solvent to phosphoric acid.     

Investigation of Uranium(VI) Extraction Mechanisms from Phosphoric and Sulfuric Media by 31P-NMR

Uranium extraction using DEHCNPB (butyl-1-[N,N-bis(2-ethylhexyl)carbamoyl]nonyl phosphonic acid, a bifunctional cationic extractant) has been studied to better understand mechanism differences depending on the original acidic solution (phosphoric or sulfuric). Solvent extraction batch experiments were carried out and the organic phases were probed using ³¹P-NMR. This technique enabled to demonstrate that phosphoric acid is poorly extracted by DEHCNPB ([H₃PO₄]_org < 2mM), using direct quantification in the organic phase by ³¹P-NMR spectra integration. Moreover, in the presence of uranium in the initial phosphoric acid solution, uranyl extraction by DEHCNPB competes with H₃PO₄ extraction.Average stoichiometries of U(VI)-DEHCNPB complexes in organic phases were also determined using slope analysis on uranium distribution data. Uranium seems to be extracted from a phosphoric medium by two extractant molecules, whereas more than three DEHCNPB on average would be necessary to extract uranium from a sulfuric medium. Thus, uranium is extracted according to different mechanisms depending on the nature of the initial solution.     

Synthesis of MnPO4·H2O by refluxing process at atmospheric pressure

Serrabrancaite (MnPO₄·H₂O) was synthesized by oxidizing Mn(H₂PO₄)₂ with NaClO solution using a refluxing process at atmospheric pressure, and a mixed solution of MnCl₂ and H₃PO₄ could substitute for Mn(H₂PO₄)₂ in the process. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Hureaulite was formed when single solution of Mn(H₂PO₄)₂ was refluxed for 12 h at 60 °C. Rodlike hureaulite was fabricated by refluxing reaction of 30 mmol Mn(H₂PO₄)₂ and 60 mmol NaClO solution with adding hydrochloric acid within 40 mmol. Granular hureaulite was formed by refluxing of 30 mmol MnCl₂ and 60 mmol NaClO solution with adding phosphoric acid within 30 mmol. For the two above-mentioned reaction systems, MnPO₄·H₂O was prepared by adding hydrochloric acid no less than 80 mmol and phosphoric acid no less than 60 mmol respectively. MnPO₄·H₂O yield increased with elevating reflux temperature, and increased firstly and then decreased with increasing additional amount of acid. The highest recovery yield of MnPO₄·H₂O reached 84.1% when Mn(H₂PO₄)₂ was performed as bivalent manganese source, and approached 74.0% when MnCl₂ and H₃PO₄ were used instead.     

Untersuchungen zur Reaktion von konzentrierter Phosphors?ure mit reinen und korrodierten Stahloberfl?chen

Zusammenfassung Mittels Mößbauerspektroskopie wurde gefunden, daß sich aus Rostkomponenten neben den normalen Eisen (III)- und Eisen (II)-phosphaten auch ein saures Eisen (III)-phosphat bilden kann, wenn sie mit konzentrierter Phosphorsäure behandelt werden. Voraussetzung hierfür ist, daß die Ausgangsphase eine reine Fe³⁺-Verbindung ist. Das saure Eisen(III)-phosphat, wahrscheinlich FeH₃(PO₄)₂ · 2,5 H₂O, enthält Fe³⁺ in nahezu kubischer Umgebung, die Kristallstruktur hat jedoch niedrigere Symmetrie. Unterhalb von 28 K setzt eine magnetische Ordnung ein. Es sind zwei Fälle mit verschiedener Spinstruktur und Verkantungen zu unterscheiden.

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Studies of the reaction of concentrated phosphoric acid with clean and corroded steel surfaces

Summary It was found by Mössbauer spectroscopy that an acid ferric phosphate in addition to the normal phosphates is formed by treatment of rust components with concentrated phosphoric acid, provided the initial phase is a pure Fe³⁺ compound. The acid ferric phosphate, probably FeH₃(PO₄)₂ x 2.5 H₂O, contains Fe³⁺ at an approximately cubic lattice site, although the crystal structure is of lower symmetry. Below 28 K, the substance shows magnetic ordering. Two different cases with canted spin structures were found.

     

Separation of yttrium(III) from iron(III) through liquid membrane impregnated with di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid

The selective transport of yttrium(III) in the presence of iron(III) through a supported liquid membrane (SLM) has been investigated by using di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEHPA) as a mobile carrier. Yttrium(III) with fast kinetics was preferentially transported from the feed solution of dilute acid into the product solution of 1M H₂SO₄, while most of iron(III) with slow kinetics remained in the feed solution. The effective separation of yttrium(III) from a large amount of iron(III) was accomplished by the selective transport of yttrium(III) through the SLM.     

Increased rates of initiation of polymerization by 4-4′-dicyano-4-4′-azopentanoic acid in the presence of ferric salts

The initiation of the polymerization of acrylamide by 4-4′-dicyano-4-4′-azopentanoic acid in aqueous solution has been studied kinetically at 25°C. Ferric chloride and ferric sulfate were used to terminate polymerization so that rates of initiation could be calculated from the rates of production of ferrous iron. Velocity coefficients at 25°C. for the initiation reaction were found to be (25.7 ± 2.8) × 10^?7 sec.^?1 for the ferric chloride terminated reaction and (73.6 ± 0.6) × 10^?7 sec.^?1 for the ferric sulfate-terminated polymerization. The value reported for the initiation reaction when acrylamide is polymerized in the absence of metal salts is 1.29 × 10^?7 sec.^?1. Velocity coefficients for the termination reaction have been calculated from the overall rates of polymerization obtained with ferric salts present. In the case of the ferric chloride-terminated reaction, it has been shown that the rate of polymerization is reduced by increasing the total concentration of chloride ions. Termination velocity coefficients at 25°C. for the inner sphere complexes FeCl²⁺·5H₂O and FeSO₄⁺·4H₂O have been calculated to be 18.9 × 10⁴ and 7.98 × 10⁴ l./mole-sec., respectively. The dependence on the concentration of ferric chloride of the molecular weights of the polymers produced has also been considered.     

Redox determination of uranium in presence of plutonium in low phosphoric acid medium and the recovery of plutonium

Quantitative determination of uranium in (U, Pu)O₂ fuels is usually done by the DAVIES-GRAY method. High concentrations of phosphoric acid in the analytical waste generated by this method make the revocery of plutonium rather complex. Studies on the recovery of plutonium from nitric acid medium containing different concentrations of H₃PO₄ by conventional anion-exchange procedure reveal that more than 90% of the plutonium can be easily recovered when the phosphoric acid concentration is less than 0.5 M in the solution. A method was developed for the determination of uranium in the presence of plutonium, which involves the reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) by Fe(II) in a medium of 3.5M H₃PO₄ +4.5M H₂SO₄ instead of 10–11M H₃PO₄ so as to have the H₃PO₄ concentration 0.6M in the waste. A number of determinations of uranium in UO₂(NO₃)₂ working standard solutions and (U, Pu) synthetic solutions with uranium at the 3–7 mg level were carried out by this method. The precision obtained was better than ±0.2% and the accuracy was also within the precision limits. The resulting analytical waste generated was directly subjected to anion exchange separation for the recovery of plutonium which was found to be more than 90%.     

A new anhydrous proton conducting material based on phosphoric acid doped polyimide

A new anhydrous proton conducting material based on polyimide and phosphoric acid composite was prepared. The interaction between polyimide (PI) and phosphoric acid was investigated by FTIR. The results show that phosphoric acid interacts with polyimides mainly by hydrogen bonds rather than by protonation of PI at room temperature. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) was employed to study the surface morphology of the membranes. The results show that the surface of PI-xH₃PO₄ membranes is very compact and homogeneous. Proton conductivity and methanol permeability of PI doped with phosphoric acid (PI-xH₃PO₄) were also studied. Proton conductivity of PI-xH₃PO₄ membranes increases with increasing concentration of phosphoric acid. Hydrogen bond seems to play an important role in the proton conductivity of this system. Effects of osmotic on the direct diffusion process of methanol in the membranes can be negligible due to the absence of micro-pore structure as already shown in ESEM results. Effects of methanol concentration and temperature on the methanol permeability of PI-xH₃PO₄ membranes were also discussed. Methanol permeability in PI-xH₃PO₄ membranes decreases with increasing methanol concentration, and increases with increasing temperature.     

Interaction model for the volumetric properties of weak electrolytes with application to H3PO4

The Pitzer ion-interaction model for the thermodynamic properties of a weakly dissociating neutral solute is extended to include solution densities and compressibilities. Excellent agreement is obtained with the literature data for pure aqueous phosphoric acid to 8m. The first and second pressure derivatives of the interaction parameters for H⁺, H₂PO ₄ ^? , and H₃PO₄ are evaluated, in addition to the limiting partial molar volumes and adiabatic compressibilities of the ionized and unionized acids. The present method requires no additional data or extraneous assumption regarding the properties of the free electrolyte in extrapolating to infinite dilution. The quantities evaluated are used to estimate the pressure dependence of the ionization constant, activity coefficients, and speciation to 1 kbar. The estimated effect of pressure on aqueous phosphoric acid ionization is in excellent agreement with experimental data.     

New approach to processing of the apatite concentrate

New approach to processing of the apatite concentrate is suggested and substantiated. The approach includes treatment of the concentrate with a phosphoric acid solution at room temperature in the presence of a sulfo cation exchanger in the NH₄⁺ or H⁺ form. The phosphoric acid solution and the sorbent saturated with metal cations are separated and processed into target products by the known methods. The advantages and disadvantages of the approach are discussed.     

Spectrophotometric determination of iron with 2-hydroxy-3-napthoic acid

2-Hydroxy-3-napthoic acid is presented as a new, highly sensitive and selective reagent for its colour reaction with ferric ion. The sensitivity of the reaction is 0.025 μg/cm² (SANDELL). The blue-coloured complex is maximally absorbed at 590 mμ and obeys Beer's law up to 24 p.p.m. of iron. The optimum range of concentration is from 4 to 20 p.p.m. of iron, where the percent relative analysis error per 1% absolute photometric error is 2.9. The composition of the complex, as evaluated by JOB's method and as verified by the Molar and Slope ratio methods, shows that in solution, the complex contains the iron and the reagent in a ratio of l : 1. The empirical formula of the complex is suggested to be [Fe(C₁₁H₇O₃)]⁺². The molar extinction coefficient is 2212 and the instability constant of the complex is about 4.29 ? 10^-4. Coloured ions or those ions that give coloured products are tolerated to a limited extent during the determination of iron.     

Ferric hydrous oxide sols I. Monodispersed basic iron(III) sulfate particles

The methods of preparation of basic ferric sulfate sols consisting of particles uniform in shape of extremely narrow size distribution are described in detail. To produce such sols, acidic solutions containing ferric ions and sulfate ions were aged at elevated temperatures for a few hours. Solids formed from solutions containing a mixture of a ferric salt with a metal sulfate consisted of Fe₃(SO₄)₂(OH)₅· 2H₂O, which is the basic formulation for the alunite mineral group, whereas particles formed from ferric sulfate solutions also included Fe₄(SO₄)-(OH)₁₀ in varying proportions. The morphology of the particles was strongly dependent on the [Fe³⁺]: [SO₄²⁻] ratio in solution. Changes in the cation (K⁺, NH₄⁺, Na⁺) of the sulfate salt used in the mixture with ferric nitrate solutions greatly affected the particle size and also exhibited some effect on the lattice parameters. Certain cations (Mg²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺) completely inhibited particle formation. During the first few hours of growth of the Fe₃(SO₄)₂-(OH)₅· 2H₂0 particles their diameters increased essentially linearly with time, indicating that the rate determining step was the surface reaction. The relevance of these systems to the study of corrosion of iron and steel is discussed.     

Characteristics of oxygen exchange in phosphoric acid

The oxygen exchange between phosphoric acid and water at various temperatures and concentrations has been investigated in the presence and absence of K₂HPO₄. The minimum rate of exchange is observed for a solution concentration of 2–2.5 mole/l. It has been shown that in concentrated solutions of phosphoric acid the formation of H₄PO ₄ ⁺ is possible, and the true rate constant of the acid-catalytic conversion and the basicity constant of H₃PO₄ has been calculated. It has been found that in a solution where the mobility of the oxygen atom towards the anion increases, the value of the limiting current on the anodic dissolution of copper diminishes.     

The calculation of the thermodynamic equilibrium in Fe3+/MoO 4 2− /H+(OH−)/H2O system and determination of reasonable conditions for iron molybdate deposition

The thermodynamic data on the Fe³⁺/MoO₄ ^2?/H⁺(OH^?)/H₂O system were analyzed. The iron(III) molybdate precipitates were studied by the X-ray phase analysis and electron probe microanalysis. It was shown that the content of the iron(III) oxide impurity in the precipitates depends on method and conditions of mixing of an iron precursor solution and an molybdenum precursor solution.     

Synthesis and characterization of uranium bromide phosphate UBrPO4·2H2O and uranium hydroxide phosphate U(OH)PO4

Uranium chloride phosphate tetrahydrate UClPO₄·4H₂O was obtained by mixing uranium (IV) hydrochloric solution and concentrated phosphoric acid [1]. From crystal structure studies its formula was determined as dihydrate [2]. Using the same method, i.e. starting from uranium (IV) hydrobromic solution and H₃PO₄, two crystal forms of a new compound, uranium bromide phosphate UBrPO₄·2H₂O were synthesized. Their XRD patterns, UV-visible and infrared spectra are presented in this paper. The hydrolysis process of the chloride and bromide phosphates leads to the amorphous uranium hydroxide phosphate U(OH)PO₄·6H₂O.     

Electrochemical polymerization of aniline in phosphoric acid

The electrochemical synthesis of common conductive polymers such as polyaniline in phosphoric acid is a little different from that in other acidic media such as sulfuric acid. Electropolymerization in phosphoric acid is difficult, and this electrolyte medium is not applicable for this purpose. However, it is possible to overcome this problem by the addition of a small amount of sulfuric acid. In this case, the electropolymerization process can be successfully performed when the phosphate ion is doped. For instance, polyaniline films electrodeposited from an electrolyte solution of phosphoric acid have good stabilities and useful morphologies. Interestingly, phosphate doping results in the formation of nanostructures, whereas the polymer surface is macroscopically smooth. In an appropriate ratio, a mixed electrolyte of H₃PO₄ and H₂SO₄ can be used for the electropolymerization of aniline; thus, H₂SO₄ acts as a required agent for successful polymer growth, and H₃PO₄ acts as a doping agent. In this case, a small amount of sulfate is incorporated into the polymer matrix, which does not participate in the electrochemical insertion/extraction process. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3304–3311, 2006     

Role of oxidizers in the active dissolution and passivation of metals

It was established that addition of hydrogen peroxide to a solution of sulphuric acid leads to acceleration of the active dissolution of chromium and to the shift of its passivation potential in negative direction. Similar data were obtained for Fe-28% Cr alloy in H₂SO₄ solution containing H₂O₂ and for iron in sulphuric acid with K₂Cr₂O₇ additions. The conclusion was made that depending on the potential the molecules of oxygen-containing oxidizers can undergo different transmissions on the surface of the metal, including transformations connected with the direct participation of the oxidizer in the anodic dissolution of the metal or in the building of inhibiting or passivating layers on the metallic surface.     

From precipitation to vesicles: a study on self-organized assemblies by alkylammonium and its mixtures in polar solvents

The formation of self-organized assemblies by C_nH_2n+1NH₂·HCl and C₁₂H₂₅SO₄ Na in polar solvents was studied. By adding 1-propanol or 2-propanol, the precipitation formed in aqueous solution was resolved and a bilayer structure was discovered. Furthermore, multilamellar vesicle formation could be observed by methods of adjusting the molar ratio of C_nH_2n+1NH₂·HCl to C₁₂H₂₅SO₄Na, changing the length of the hydrocarbon chain of C_nH_2n+1NH₂·HCl, or adding 1-octanol to the mixed surfactant systems. Received: 18 January 2001 Accepted: 15 March 2001