Abstract
It was found that the extraction percent (E%) values of U(VI), Th, Zr and Fe(III) from 0. 1 mol dm−3 (M) HNO3 solution by 0. 1 M TOPO in cyclohexane solution are 98, 78, 85 and 85%, respectively. Among these elements, only U(VI) and Th were found to be stripped from their organic phase by 0. 1 M sodium citrate solution. Cerium, copper and cadmium were not extracted by trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) under similar conditions. Based on these equilibrium results, a liquid emulsion membrane (LEM) was prepared from TOPO/Span 80/sodium citrate and the factors affecting its stability were studied. Permeation of U(VI) into this membrane was kinetically studied in detail. Its forward permeation rate was found to be mainly dependent on TOPO concentration and slightly dependent on U(VI) and HNO3 concentration of the external phase. Permeation results showed that it is possible to recover 98% of U(VI) and 82% of Th from 0. 1 M HNO3 solution containing Ce, Zr, Fe(III), Cd, and Cu by the membrane. The recovered U(VI) and Th were contaminated with less than 2% of Fe(III).
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El-Reefy, S.A., Selim, Y.T. & Aly, H.F. Equilibrium and Kinetic Studies on the Separation of Uranium and Thorium from Nitric Acid Medium by Liquid Emulsion Membrane Based on Trioctylphosphine Oxide Extractant. ANAL. SCI. 13, 333–337 (1997). https://doi.org/10.2116/analsci.13.333
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2116/analsci.13.333