Extraction of rare earth elements with organophosphorus extractants as carriers in supported liquid membranes

The membrane extraction of Y, Ce, Eu, Tm and their binary mixtures Ce–Y, Ce–Eu, Ce–Tm with supported liquid membranes containing TBP and HDEHP as carriers in decanedodecane hydrocarbon solvent, has been studied. Upon extraction with TBP aqueous nitrate solutions of rare earth elements (REE) were used as feed phase. In some cases they also contained EDTA or DCTA. In most cases, the receiving phase was an aqueous solution of EDTA. Extraction with HDEHP was performed from nitrate and chloride solutions and the receiving phase was the corresponding dilute acid. Pertraction of an element through a membrane was studied as a function of time and of initial composition of phases. The results are presented in the following forms: flux of metal through membrane, coefficients of permeability, separation factors and effective diffusion coefficients.     

Solvent extraction studies on thorium sulphate and halides

The effect of water-miscible alcohols, acetone and haloacids in the aqueous phase of sulphuric acid solutions has been studied on the extraction of thorium sulphate and halides by bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (HDEHP) and tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP). The partition coefficient (E) is greatly affected by these additives, and this gives useful separations from many other elements. Besides, the log-log relationship between the E values and solvent concentration leads to some suggestions on the extraction mechanisms of this mixed system.     

Thorium determination in water samples by liquid scintillation counting after its separation by cloud point extraction

The aim of this study is the separation and pre-concentration of thorium from aqueous solutions by cloud point extraction (CPE) and its the radiometric determination by liquid scintillation counting (LSC). For CPE, tributyl phosphate (TBP) was used as the complexing agent and (1,1,3,3-Tetramethylbutyl)phenyl-polyethylene glycol (Triton X-114) as the surfactant. The radiometric measurements were performed after phase separation by mixing of the surfactant phase with the liquid scintillation cocktail. The effect of experimental conditions such as pH, ionic strength (e.g. [NaCl]) and the presence of other chemical species (e.g. Ca²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions, and humic acid colloids) on the CPE separation recovery have been investigated at constant reactant ratio (m(TBP)/m(Triton) = 0.1). According to the experimental results the maximum chemical recovery is (60 ± 5)% at pH 3. Regarding the other parameters, generally Ca²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions as well as the presence of colloidal species in solution (even at low concentrations) results in significant decrease of the chemical recovery of uranium. On the other hand increasing NaCl concentration leads to enhancement of chemical recovery. Generally, the method could be applied successfully for the radiometric determination of thorium in water solutions with relatively increased thorium content.     

Determination of90Sr in environmental and biological materials with combined HDEHP solvent extraction-low liquid scintillation counting technique

Low level⁹⁰Sr in environmental and biological samples is determined using a combined HDEHP solvent extraction-liquid scintillation procedure. Yttrium-90 is selectively extracted from nitric acid solution into 5% di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (HDEHP) in toluene, and⁹⁰Y in the organic phase is measured directly using an ultra low level liquid scintillation spectrometer.The working program of the Quantulus counter has been optimized. As the counting efficiency using liquid scintillation counting is high and the stripping and precipitation of Yttrium-90 oxalate is omitted, this procedure is simpler and more timesaving than traditional methods. The chemical recoveries of⁹⁰Y were 85.1% for soil, 75.7% for milk and 65.3% for bone. The detection limit is 8 mBq.     

Selective liquid scintillation method of plutonium α-spectrometry

A selective liquid scintillation method is suggested for plutonium determination by alpha-spectrometry in the presence of uranium. The analytical process consists of extracting plutonium from nitric acid solutions using BPHA, TOA and MTOA nitrate as extractants into toluene scintillator. Effect of various extractants and nitric acid concentration on the extraction of Pu(IV) and U(VI) together with scintillations quenching were investigated. A simple and fast two-stage selective scintillation method is also suggested for Pu determination in the irradiated uranioum samples.     

Method of separating uranium from iron and thorium

Acid leaching of uranium deposits is not a selective process. Sulfuric acid solubilizes iron(III) and half or more of the thorium depending on the mineralog of this element. In uranium recovery by solvent extraction process, uranium is separated from iron by an organic phase consisting of 10 vol% tributylphosphate(TBP) in kerosine diluent. Provided that the aqueous phase is saturated with ammonium nitrate or made 4–5 M in nitric acid prior to extraction. Nitric acid or ammonium nitrate is added to the leach solution in order to obtain a uranyl nitrate product. Leach solutions containing thorium(IV) besides iron are treated in an analogous fashion. Uranium can be extracted away from thorium using 10 vol% TBP in kerosine diluent. The aqueous phase should be saturated with ammonium nitrate and the pH of the solution lowered to 0.5 with sufficient amount of sulfuric acid. In other words, the separation of uranium and thorium depends on the way the relative distributions of the two materials between aqueous solutions and TBP vary with sulfuric acid concentration. Thorium is later recovered from the waste leach liquor, after removal of sulfate ions. Uranium can be stripped from the organic phase by distilled water, and precipitated as ammonium diuranate.     

Extraction of certain actinide and lathanide elements from different acidic media by polyurethane foams loaded with di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP)

The partition of cerium(III) between aqueous acid perchlorate solutions and polyurethane foams loaded with solutions of di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP) in nitrobenzene has been investigated and the apparent polymerization number of HDEHP on the foam has been determined. The mechanism of extraction is discussed in the light of the results. It has been found that Ce(III) is generally extracted on the foam by a cation exchange mechanism.     

Extraction of certain actinide and lanthanide elements from different acid media by polyurethane foams loaded with di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP)

The extraction of uranium(VI) from an aqueous HNO₃ phase into an organic phase consisting of a polyurethane foam immobilizing a solution of di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP) in o-dichlorobenzene has been investigated at varying concentrations of nitric acid and HDEHP. The mechanism of the extraction is discussed on the basis of the results obtained. The aggregation number of HDEHP immobilized on the foam was obtained from the analysis of data obtained for the extraction of cerium(III) from acidic perchlorate solutions of constant ionic strength.     

Einfluss Organischer Lösungsmittel auf die Extraktion von Thorium(IV) und Uran(VI) mit Substituierten Sekundären,Tertiären und Quartären Ammoniumnitraten aus Salpetersauren Lösungen

The influence of ethanol on the distribution of thorium(IV) and uranium(VI) between solutions of nitric acid and solutions of Amberlite LA-2, Trilaurylamine and Aliquat 336-nitrate has been investigated. Increasing amounts of nitric acid and ethanol in the aqueous phase cause an increase of the acid concentration in the organic phase. This concentration can be calculated by a given formula for Amberlite LA-2. The distribution of acid and ethanol is discussed. The distribution ratios of thorium(IV) and uranium(VI) are changed by adding ethanol to the liquid-liquid-system. This can be explained by the shift of the equilibrium of the metal nitrate complexes and by the enhanced extraction of acid.      

二-(2-乙基己基)磷酸从盐酸介质中萃取铀(Ⅳ)的动力学研究

采用上升单液滴法研完了二-(2-乙基己基)磷酸-环己烷从盐酸介质中萃取铀(Ⅳ)的动力学。测定了不同萃取条件对萃取速率的影响,提出了速率方程,并对萃取反应机理进行了讨论。     

Recovery of neptunium from macroamounts of uranium by extraction with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-pyrazolone-5

Conditions for neptunium recovery from nitrate solution containing large amounts of uranium by extraction with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-pyrazolone-5 (PMBP), and a mixture of PMBP with di-2-ethyl-hexylphosphoric acid (HDEHP) were studied. A two-stage technique, based on removal of uranium macroamounts at the first stage by means of extraction of uranium with PMBP and HDEHP mixture, and neptunium extraction by PMBP at the second stage, was suggested.     

Liquid–liquid extraction of thorium(IV) by fatty acids: a comparative study

In this paper, extractants that have the potential to be sustainably regenerated, are proposed for thorium(IV) removal from nitrate aqueous phases. These extractants are oleic (OA), palmitic (PA) and lauric (LA) acids. The advantages of using these acids are their sustainability, their biocompatibility and their non-toxicity, this makes these simpler and greener compared to other extractants (organophosphorus, azote derivatives, macrocyclic crown, etc…) used for metal extraction. These acids were applied as chelating agent for Th(IV) liquid–liquid extraction. The extractions were carried out in chloroform as an organic phase through the formation of thorium–OA, thorium–PA and thorium–LA complexes. The synergistic extraction of Th(IV) with these extractants in the presence of tributhylphosphine (TBP) has been investigated. The effect of different variables, such as time contact, pH of the aqueous phase, concentration of fatty acid, TBP addition on fatty acids, ionic strength and temperature, is reported. The results showed that the extraction kinetics using LA and OA were fast than with PA. The KNO₃ addition does not seem to highly influence the extraction yield, and no important synergy effect was noticed in the presence of TPB. Thermodynamic data for Th(IV) solvent extraction are also reported in this paper.     

Lower-RIM Polyphosphorylated Calix[4]arenes. Their Use as Extracting Agents for Thorium (IV) and Europium (III) Ions

The extraction of thorium (IV) and europium (III) ions from aqueous nitrate media (1 M nitric acid and sodium nitrate) using six p-tert -butylcalix[4]arene derivatives bearing phosphine oxide units (--CH 2 P(O)Ph 2 ) anchored at the lower rim has been investigated at 25°;C. All ligands display higher extracting properties toward thorium than europium ions. The number and position on the lower rim of the ligating groups play a crucial role in the extraction process, the highest extraction percentages being in each case achieved with the tetra-phosphorylated calixarene. In the presence of sodium nitrate the extraction percentages are considerably higher than those obtained in the presence of nitric acid.     

Solvent extraction of neodymium,europium and thulium by di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid

The extraction of Na³⁺, Eu³⁺ and Tm³⁺ by di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid, HDEHP has been studied from various aqueous acidic solutions. The extraction of these elements is inversely proportional to the third power of the hydrogen ion concentration. Antagonistic effects were observed when the extraction was studied by mixtures of HDEHP and tributyl phosphate, TBP, or trioctylphosphine oxide, TOPO. The presence of water-miscible alcohols and acetone generally increases the extraction of these three elements from HCl solutions. Reaction mechanisms have been suggested and discussed in the light of the data obtained.     

Extraction recovery of vanadium(V) from sulfuric acid solutions

The IR and electronic absorption spectra of di-2-ethylhexyl hydrogen phosphate (HDEHP) extracts of vanadium(V) and sulfuric acid and of vanadium(V) solutions in sulfuric acid were studied. The composition of the extractable complex was determined, and the equation of vanadium(V) extraction with HDEHP was suggested. The equilibrium constant of vanadium(V) extraction from concentrated sulfuric acid solutions was found.     

Temperature Effect on the Extraction of Uranyl and Thorium Nitrates by Tributylphosphate in Kerosene

Temperature effect on the extraction of uranyl and thorium nitrates by tributyl-phosphate (TBP) has been investigated at different nitric acid concentration (–0.17 ～ 3 N), and solvent composition from 10°C to 60°C. Thermodynamic quantities for the extraction of uranyl nitrate and thorium nitrate were also estimated.     

Thorium determination in aqueous solutions after separation by ion-exchange and liquid extraction

The concentration of thorium in aqueous samples has been determined by means of alpha-spectroscopy and UV?CVis photometry after chemical separation and pre-concentration of the actinide by cation exchange and liquid-liquid extraction using Chelex-100 resin and 30%TBP in dodecan, respectively. Method calibration was performed using thorium standard solutions and resulted in a high chemical recovery for cation exchange and liquid extraction. Regarding, the effect of physicochemical parameters (e.g., pH, salinity, competitive cations, and colloidal species) on the separation recovery of thorium from aqueous solutions by cation exchange has also been investigated. The investigation was performed to evaluate the applicability of cation exchange and liquid extraction as separation and pre-concentration methods prior to the quantitative analysis of thorium in water samples, and has shown that the method could be successfully applied to waters with relatively low-salinity and metal ion contamination.     

Extraction chromatographic material with HDEHP on polyacrylonitrile (PAN)

Four composite materials with di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (HDEHP) as an extraction agent and PAN as a binding polymer were studied in this work. The intended use of these materials is in extraction chromatography. They were prepared by various methods and contained different amounts of HDEHP. The properties were compared by studying europium uptake from nitric acid solutions. Materials prepared by direct incorporation of extraction agent into PAN polymer during beads production and with up to 40% (w/w) of HDEHP are suitable for analytical separations. Materials with high capacity can be prepared by impregnation of ready-made PAN beads.     

A sensitive method based on HDEHP extraction and LSS for the determination of 90Sr in solid samples

An improved and rapid method is described for the determination of ⁹⁰Sr in environmental samples, through the separation of the daughter ⁹⁰Y at equilibrium. The procedure is based on the HDEHP solvent extraction in combination with liquid scintillation spectrometry (LSS). A low background QuantulusÔ has been optimized for low level counting of Cerenkov radiation emitted by the hard b-emitter ⁹⁰Y. The counting efficiency was 60% and the background 0.53 cpm. The reliability and reproducibility of the method have been checked using IAEA reference materials. The chemical recovery for ⁹⁰Y extraction ranges from 83 to 90%.     

Extraction-separation of Eu(III) and Th(IV) ions from nitrate media into a room-temperature ionic liquid

Application of a room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C₄mim⁺][PF₆ ^?]), in the extraction of Eu(III) and Th(IV) ions from nitrate media using tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) as extractant is investigated. The results are compared with those obtained in dichloromethane. It is shown that the europium ions are extracted via a solvation mechanism by formation of [Eu(TOPO) ₃ ³⁺ ](NO₃ ^?)₃ species in both [C₄mim⁺][PF₆ ^?] and dichloromethane. Nevertheless, application of the studied RTIL makes a significant improvement in the extraction efficiency of europium ions. A different attitude was observed for the extraction of thorium ions. In fact, although the analysis of the extraction data of these ions from sodium nitrate solutions confirms the formation of [Th(TOPO) ₃ ⁴⁺ ](NO₃ ^?)₄ species in dichloromethane, the extraction of these ions into the ionic liquid was not affected by the presence of TOPO. This latter outcome states the process takes place by a cation-exchange mechanism. It is found that the extraction of thorium ions diminishes in the presence of nitric acid. Interestingly, in contrast to the results observed in the extraction of thorium ions from sodium nitrate solutions, TOPO shows a co-operative effect on the extraction of these ions from nitric acid media. This allows considering the mechanism of the extraction of Th⁴⁺ ions from nitric acid media as a mixed ion exchange-solvation mechanisms by formation of [Th(TOPO)⁴⁺](NO₃ ^?)(PF₆ ^?)₃ species.