Recovery of cesium

Patent · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:865201

Izatt, Reed M ^[1]; Christensen, James J ^[1]; Hawkins, Richard T ^[2]

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1. Provo, UT
2. Orem, UT

A process of recovering cesium ions from mixtures of ions containing them and other ions, e.g., a solution of nuclear waste materials, which comprises establishing a separate source phase containing such a mixture of ions, establishing a separate recipient phase, establishing a liquid membrane phase in interfacial contact with said source and recipient phases, said membrane phase containing a ligand, preferably a selected calixarene as depicted in the drawing, maintaining said interfacial contact for a period of time long enough to transport by said ligand a substantial portion of the cesium ion from the source phase to the recipient phase, and recovering the cesium ion from the recipient phase. The separation of the source and recipient phases may be by the membrane phase only, e.g., where these aqueous phases are emulsified as dispersed phases in a continuous membrane phase, or may include a physical barrier as well, e.g., an open-top outer container with an inner open-ended container of smaller cross-section mounted in the outer container with its open bottom end spaced from and above the closed bottom of the outer container so that the membrane phase may fill the outer container to a level above the bottom of the inner container and have floating on its upper surface a source phase and a recipient phase separated by the wall of the inner container as a physical barrier. A preferred solvent for the ligand is a mixture of methylene chloride and carbon tetrachloride.

• Research Organization: Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-78ER05016
• Assignee: Brigham Young University (Provo, UT)
• Patent Number(s): US 4477377
• OSTI ID: 865201
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

recovery
cesium
process
recovering
mixtures
containing
solution
nuclear
waste
materials
comprises
establishing
separate
source
phase
mixture
recipient
liquid
membrane
interfacial
contact
phases
ligand
preferably
selected
calixarene
depicted
drawing
maintaining
period
time
transport
substantial
portion
separation
aqueous
emulsified
dispersed
continuous
physical
barrier
open-top
outer
container
inner
open-ended
cross-section
mounted
bottom
spaced
closed
fill
level
floating
upper
surface
separated
wall
preferred
solvent
methylene
chloride
carbon
tetrachloride
phase separated
physical barrier
inner container
substantial portion
outer container
phase containing
upper surface
waste material
waste materials
nuclear waste
liquid membrane
aqueous phase
dispersed phase
recovering cesium
closed bottom
methylene chloride
separate source
comprises establishing
phase separate
/423/210/252/976/