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

Abstract

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 %.