Solvent extraction behaviour of tracer zirconium in TTA-xylene system

The solvent extraction behaviour of tracer zirconium in the TTA-xylene system has been studied. By studying the effect of TTA concentration, extraction time, and acid concentration for HNO₃ and HCl, optimum conditions of zirconium extraction are determined. It is found that zirconium is 98% extracted in one minute of extraction with 0.5M TTA in xylene from an 8M HNO₃ solution. A plot of 1g D versus 1g TTA] gives a straight line with a slope of 2. This suggests that the zirconium ion is hydrolyzed and is present as ZrO²⁺, zirconyl ion, in aqueous solutions. Based on work done while the author was at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. 02139, USA.