Liquid-liquid solvent extraction of rare earths from chloride medium with sec-nonylphenoxy acetic acid and its mixtures with neutral organophosphorus extractants

In the present study, sec-nonylphenoxy acetic acid (CA100) and its mixtures with four neutral organophosphorus extractants, tri-butyl-phosphate (TBP), 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid di-2-ethyl ester (DEHEHP), Cyanex923, and Cyanex925 have been applied to the extraction of rare earths. Results show that all the four mixing systems do not have evident synergistic effects on the extraction of rare earths. The different extraction effects have been considered to the separation of rare earths. The four mixtures may be applied to the separation of yttrium from some certain lanthanoids at proper mole fractions of CA100.     

Separation of high purity gadolinium for reactor application by solvent extraction process

A solvent extraction process for the production of nuclear grade Gd₂O₃ for its applications in pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) from a crude concentrate of rare earths containing ~70 % Gd₂O₃ has been developed and tested on bench-scale and continuous counter-current operations. The separation of gadolinium from other rare earths with similar chemical properties has been successfully accomplished by adopting a dual cycle solvent extraction employing 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid, mono-2 ethylhexyl ester (EHEHPA) as an extractant. Taking advantage of the extraction order of rare earths with EHEHPA, in the first cycle, heavy rare earths including Tb, Dy and Y were separated in the product strip solution, while gadolinium was separated in the raffinate solution along with samarium and neodymium. In the second cycle, gadolinium was purified to the extent of >99.5 % with respect to other rare earths. Effects of process variables such as aqueous acidity, phase ratio, metal concentration in the aqueous feed, scrubbing and stripping acidity etc. on separation of terbium and other heavy rare earths in the first cycle and upgrading the purity of Gd₂O₃ in the second cycle have been investigated. The experimental conditions were optimized using computer simulation and validated by bench scale counter-current operations. Under optimized conditions of process parameters, continuous operations of mixer settler yielded kilogram quantity of nuclear pure Gd₂O₃ which was subsequently converted to gadolinium nitrate for PHWR application. The overall recovery was found to be >98 %.     

Extraction liquide-liquide par des esters alkylphosphoriques. II. Extraction des nitrates de béryllium et des autres alcalino-terreux par le tri-n-butylphosphate

The solvent extraction systems Be(NO₃)₂? HNO₃? H₂O? TBP/kerosene and M(NO₃)₂? H₂O? TBP/kerosene (TBP = tri-n-butylphosphate, M = Be, Mg, Ca and Sr) have been studied. The alkaline earths elements are poorly extracted. Only very high acidities allow better extraction of beryllium. The sequence of extraction of the alkaline earths elements by the TBP depends on the concentration of the cations and is Ca > Be > Sr > Mg if the metal concentration is lower than 2 M.     

Micellar enhanced ultrafiltration of cadmium

The preconcentration of cadmium from aqueous colloid solution containing 8-hydroxyquinoline as extractant, laurylsulphate natrium as surfactant,n-butanol as co-surfactant was performed using micellar ultrafiltration technique. Filters with different pore size and materials were used to achieve a separation from liquid solutions. The cadmium recoveries depending on different conditions (pH, concentration of surfactant) were determined and the results are explained in the terms of colloidal parameters in the compare with the classical solvent extraction.     

Role of Cyanex-272 as an extractant for uranium in the determination of rare earths by ICP-AES

A chemical separation procedure has been developed for the extraction of uranium from some of the crucially important rare earths using a novel extractant viz. Cyanex-272 (2,4,4-trimethyl pentyl phosphinic acid). The near total extraction of uranium and quantitative separation of rare earth elements has been validated using inductively coupled argon plasma - atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The recovery of some of the representative elements has been confirmed by radioactive tracer studies. The back extraction of uranium from the organic phase was carried out using a solution of 0.5M Na₂CO₃ which resulted in a near total recovery of uranium into the organic phase. These studies have enabled determination of sub ppm amounts of the analyte elements with a precision of 5% RSD utilizing prior chemical separation of rare earths from 1 g uranium samples in just three extractions with Cyanex-272.     

Activity coefficients of the binary mixtures of n-decane with some aliphatic alcohols at 95.8 kPa

Activity coefficients at 95.8?kPa (over the whole composition range) are evaluated from the measurements on the bubble point temperatures of the binary mixtures of n-decane with: iso-propanol, n-butanol, iso-butanol, sec-butanol, tert-butanol and active amylalcohol. A Swietoslawski-type ebulliometer is used for the measurements. The Wilson model, found to represent the liquid phase composition versus temperature data well, is used for the calculations.     

Dipole Moment Studies of n-butanol,i-butanol and t-butanol with Chlorobenzene Complexes

Abstract

The dipole moments of H-bonded complexes of n-butanol, i-butanol and t-butanol with chlorobenzene in benzene were investigated from dielectric measurements at 455 kHz and at temperature 303.16 K. The dipole moment of the complex (μab), interaction dipole moment (Δμ) and induced polarization (Pab) for thermodynamically most favoured geometry of 1:1 complexes in these systems were determined. The results shows that the complexation is due to charge redistribution effect in all cases studied and the tendency of complex formation is maximum in n-butanol system.     

Phase equilibria in the binary mixtures formed by ethylbenzene with some aliphatic alcohols at 95.8 kPa

Phase equilibria are determined over the entire composition range, through measurements on the bubble points of the binary mixtures of ethylbenzene with methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, iso-propanol, n-butanol, iso-butanol, sec-butanol and tert-butanol. A Swietoslawski-type ebulliometer is used for the measurements. The liquid phase composition versus temperature measurements, found to be well represented by the Wilson model, are used to establish the phase equilibria.     

Effect of polyvinyl alcohol on rare earths (Gd and Tb) separation by extraction resin

Small amounts of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA; 0.5-1.5 wt.%) added to extraction resin was synthesized by suspension polymerization. Their effects on the separation of rare earths (RE) were then investigated by conducting a relative comparison with the performance of pure extraction resin. The supporter and extractant of extraction resin were styrene-divinyl benzene copolymer and 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (HEH[EHP]), respectively. The size of PVA added extraction resin was reduced by 40% particle size of pure extraction resin. Furthermore, a higher level of PVA addition, shorter effluent range and smaller resolution values were shown in the extraction. In constant PVA added extraction resin, more diluted effluent concentration, longer effluent range and bigger resolution values were shown in the extraction. This could be the result of the bonding force between the rare earths and the extraction resin due to the nature of the interaction between the OH⁻ group in PVA and the OH⁻ group in extractants such as HEH[EHP]. Thus, the bonding force between the RE and extractants was determined by the level of PVA in the resins and the acidity of the effluent solution became another important factor in the extraction performance of the rare earths. As a result, the optimal level of PVA addition and the concentration of effluent for RE (Gd and Tb) separation were determined to be 0.5 wt.% of PVA and 0.05 M HCl of effluent, respectively.     

Interfacial Sites in Ag Supported Layered Double Oxide for Dehydrogenation Coupling of Ethanol to n-Butanol

Upgrading of ethanol to n-butanol through dehydrogenation coupling has received increasing attention due to the wide application of n-butanol. But the enhancement of ethanol dehydrogenation and followed coupling to produce high selectivity to n-butanol is still highly desired. Our previous work has reported an acid-base-Ag synergistic catalysis, with Ag particles supported on Mg and Al-containing layered double oxides (Ag/MgAl-LDO). Here, Ag-LDO interfaces have been manipulated for dehydrogenation coupling of ethanol to n-butanol by tailoring the size of Ag particles and the interactions between Ag and LDO. It has been revealed that increasing the population of surface Ag sites at Ag-LDO interfaces promotes not only the dehydrogenation of ethanol to acetaldehyde but also the subsequent aldol condensation of generated acetaldehyde. A selectivity of up to 76 % to n-butanol with an ethanol conversion of 44 % has been achieved on Ag/LDO with abundant interfacial Ag sites, much superior to the state-of-the-art catalysts.     

Control of calcium carbonate particle size and shape by precipitation from CTAB/alcohol/hexadecane mixtures

 When used as a precipitation media, emulsified mixtures of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide/n-butanol (E), hexadecane (O) and water (W), controls the size and shape of calcium carbonate particles. Monodisperse 2-micron spherical-calcite particles were obtained in a water-rich region of the mixture, while 2-micron rhombohedral-calcite particles with an aspect ratio near one were obtained in the middle region of the mixture. Replacing n-butanol with i-butanol led to consistent formation of monodisperse spherical particles, while using n-propanol in place of n-butanol limited the number of spherical particles produced in the water-rich region. Received: 17 March 1997 Accepted: 2 May 1997     

Anion Exchange Separation of Rare Earths in Methanol-Nitric Acid Mixed Solutions I. Study on the Distribution Coefficients and Column Elution Method

Anion exchange method for the mutual separation of rare earth was studied in methanol-nitric acid mixed solutions. For each of rare earth element, the distribution coefficients in different concentrations of nitric acid and also in various compositions of methanol solution were studied with the batch equilibrium method. From these distribution coefficients, elution of rare earth by gradient variation in the compositions of methonal was devised. That is, by keeping constant nitric acid at 2 N acidity and gradiently diluting methanol from its original 80% by volume. Results were satisfactory for the mutual separation of the lighter rare earths, but only fairly for the heavier earths. The secondary metal effect for this anion exchange was also studied in 80% by volume of methanol solution by keeping total concentration of nitrate at 0.8 N. Distribution coefficients were larger than nitric acid with LiNO₃ but smaller in the case of NH₄NO₃ and NaNO₃. Despite of these difference in distribution coefficients, no remarkable differences were observed for the separation factors of adjacent pairs.     

Grafting onto polypropylene II. Solvent effect on graft copolymerization of acrylonitrile by preirradiation method

Acrylonitrile (AN) has been graft copolymerized onto isotactic polypropylene (IPP) by the preirradiation method using Co⁶⁰ as the source of gamma rays in the presence of ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, tert. butyl alcohol, and n-pentanol. Alcohols vary in their ability to influence grafting of AN onto IPP and the following reactivity order was found: n-pentanol > n-butanol > tert.-butanol > n-propanol > ethanol > isopropanol. An attempt has been made to explain the observed reactivity pattern shown by different alcohols. Thermal behavior of the graft copolymer has been compared with that of IPP and irradiated IPP and it was observed that grafted IPP is thermally more stable than IPP and irradiated IPP.     

Influence of Temperature on Molecular Dipole Orientation in the Binary Mixture of Polar-Nonpolar Liquids

Abstract

The excess correlation factor in the binary mixture of polar liquid (i.e., i-butanol and t-butanol) in the nonpolar solvent (i.e., benzene, tetrachloromethane, n-heptane) has been evaluated at 301°K,307°K,313°K and 318°K. An extensive study has been made on the influence of temperature on the orientation of molecular dipoles in the solution with the help of the excess correlation factor.     

Preparation and Characterization of Ceramic Hollow Microspheres for Heavy Metal Ion Removal in Wastewater

Ceramic hollow microspheres (CHMSs) were prepared to use as supports for the removal of heavy metal ions from industrial waste-water. A water extraction sol–gel technique was used to prepare porous CHMS by extracting water from an emulsion of LUDOX (silica colloid; SiO₂, Aldrich Co.) and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. Experiments were conducted to control pore size, wall thickness, and separation yield by examining the ratio of precursors (LUDOX and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol), catalyst (NH₄OH), sintering temperature, surfactant (SPAN 80), extractant (n-butanol), stirring speed, and concentration of precursor (LUDOX). The results revealed that the optimum conditions were 20 ml of a 10 wt% solution of LUDOX, 10 ml of NH₄OH, a sintering temperature of 500°C, 0.4 ml of SPAN 80, 200 ml of n-butanol, and a stirring speed of 730 rpm/100 ml of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. CHMSs were impregnated in Cyanex 272 and examined for their ability to remove heavy metal ions from a solution. Based on an experiment involving the removal of metal ions using CHMSs that were prepared under optimum conditions, Zn ion was removed at a level of 0.354 mmol/g at pH 4, which was about twice the adsorption capacity of CHMSs prepared by Wilcox (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc.346, 201 (1994)).     

Ion-Pair Solvent Extraction of EDTA Anions with Tetraalkylammonium Ions in Various Organic Solvents

The ion-pair solvent extraction behavior of ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) anion by various tetraalkylammonium ions was investigated at 25.0 ± 0.1°C. The extraction of EDTA exceeded 90% from the basic aqueous solution into the organic solvents such as n-hexane and benzene derivatives containing tri-n-octylmethylammonium chloride, but EDTA was hardly extracted from acidic solution. Among the chemical species of EDTA in aqueous solution, edta ⁴⁻ is the most extractable one. On the other hand, the extraction of EDTA was less than 1% into chloroform and 1,2-dichloroethane even from the basic aqueous solution. The effect of the structure of alkylammonium ion was also examined. Tetra-n-hexylammonium and tetra-n-octylammonium ions could not extract EDTA even from the basic aqueous solution, while the use of tri-n-octylmethylammonium and di-n-lauryldimethylammonium ions enhances the extraction of EDTA. These results suggest that the steric hindrance in the ion-pair of alkylammonium and EDTA anion in the organic phase affects the extractability of EDTA containing ion-pair. The solution structure of ion-pair in the organic phase was calculated by MMFF force field and the steric effect in the ion-pair was also suggested. From the extraction constants obtained, the possibility of the extraction separation of EDTA has been shown.     

Separation and microdetermination of rare earth metals with N-phenylbenzohydroxamic acid and Xylenol Orange

A simple, sensitive and selective method for solvent extraction and spectrophotometric determination of lanthanum(III), praseodymium(III), neodymium(III) and samarium(III) is described. The rare earth metals are extractable into chloroform solution of N-phenylbenzohydroxamic acid (PBHA) at pH9–10. Various parameters are studied to optimize the extraction conditions. Stoichiometry of the complexes and the effect of various ions is discussed. The molar absorptivity is found to increase from 65,000 to 93,000 1·mol^–1· cm^–1 with the increase in atomic number of the rare earths. The stability constants of the complexes, separation factors and pH_{5 0} are discussed.     

Bacitracin production by a new strain ofBacillus subtilis

A new strain ofBacillus subtilis C 126 was isolated from sugar cane fermentation and produced an antibiotic that inhibited the growth ofMicrococcus flavus. The production of the antibiotic in culture medium followed to extraction withn-butanol, thin layer chromatography, and microbiological tests indicated that a polypeptide antibiotic was produced. The fraction obtained by Sephadex G-25 column and analyzed by HPLC indicated that bacitracin complex was produced.     

Ion-Pair Solvent Extraction of EDTA Anions with Tetraalkylammonium Ions in Various Organic Solvents

Summary.  The ion-pair solvent extraction behavior of ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) anion by various tetraalkylammonium ions was investigated at 25.0 ± 0.1°C. The extraction of EDTA exceeded 90% from the basic aqueous solution into the organic solvents such as n-hexane and benzene derivatives containing tri-n-octylmethylammonium chloride, but EDTA was hardly extracted from acidic solution. Among the chemical species of EDTA in aqueous solution, edta ⁴⁻ is the most extractable one. On the other hand, the extraction of EDTA was less than 1% into chloroform and 1,2-dichloroethane even from the basic aqueous solution. The effect of the structure of alkylammonium ion was also examined. Tetra-n-hexylammonium and tetra-n-octylammonium ions could not extract EDTA even from the basic aqueous solution, while the use of tri-n-octylmethylammonium and di-n-lauryldimethylammonium ions enhances the extraction of EDTA. These results suggest that the steric hindrance in the ion-pair of alkylammonium and EDTA anion in the organic phase affects the extractability of EDTA containing ion-pair. The solution structure of ion-pair in the organic phase was calculated by MMFF force field and the steric effect in the ion-pair was also suggested. From the extraction constants obtained, the possibility of the extraction separation of EDTA has been shown. Present address: Chemistry Department, Heilongjiang University, Harbin, China     

Catalysis in competing isocyanate reactions. II. Competing phenyl isocyanate reactions catalyzed with N,N′,N″-pentamethyldipropylenetriamine

The kinetics of the N,N′,N″-pentamethyl dipropylene triamine (PMPT)-catalyzed reaction of phenyl isocyanate with n-butanol was studied in acetonitrile between 26.5 and 50°C by measuring the NCO disappearance as well as the formation of the various reaction products by means of the standard dibutylamine back-titration method and the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The resulting products from the phenyl isocyanate and n-butanol reaction were found to be N-butyl phenylcarbamate, N-butyl-α,γ-diphenylallophanate, and triphenylisocyanurate. Trimer formed at the expense of carbamate formation even at a high OH/NCO ratio. Allophanate appeared to be an intermediate in the formation of trimer. PMPT was found to be a urethane and trimerization catalyst for the model reaction of phenyl isocyanate with n-butanol in acetonitrile. The PMPT-catalyzed reaction of phenyl isocyanate with n-butanol in the presence of water in acetonitrile at 50°C was also investigated. The resulting reaction products consisted of n-butyl phenylcarbamate, n-butyl-β,γ-diphenylallophanate, triphenylisocyanurate, sym-triphenylbiuret, and N,N′-diphenylurea. The presence of water retarded the disappearance of NCO groups as well as the trimer formation. Aniline (the product of phenyl isocyanate and water) was detected in the reaction of equivalent amounts of phenyl isocyanate and water in acetonitrile.