EXTRACTION OF NIOBIUM-95 FROM NITRIC ACID SOLUTIONS WITH TRI-n-BUTYL PHOSPHATE

Technical Report · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1962

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4820665· OSTI ID:4820665

Moore, J G; Rainey, R H

The distribution coefficient (DC o/a) of Nb/sup 95/ between aqueous nitric acid and 30% Tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) in n-dodecane increased from ~0.004 to O.1 N acid deficient solution to 0.05 in 4 M HNO/sub 3/ for the extractable portion of the niobium. Greater than 70% of the niobium was unextractable. The presence of 3% chemically degraded TBP, 7% chemically degraded Amsco, or both decreased the amount of unextractable niobium to <20% and degraded TBP increased the distribution of the extractable portion. The aqueous solubility of the niobium extractant in the degraded reagents varied inversely with the acidity of the aqueous phase. The maximum DC o/a from acid deficient solutions containing solvent degradation products was ~0.008. The organic to aqueous DC o/a were higher than the aqueous to organic values for all solutions examined. Niobium retention was maximum by solvents containing both degraded TBP and Amsco, increasing from 6% to ~50% as the aqueous acidity decreases from 5 to O.1 M HNO/sub 3/. Nb/sup 95/ was removed from nitric acid solutions containing 20 g/liter Zr and Zr/sup 95/ by adsorption on unfired Vycor glass. (auth)

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• NSA Number: NSA-16-023787
• OSTI ID: 4820665
• Report Number(s): ORNL-3285
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACIDITY
ADSORPTION
ALKANES
AMSCO
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
CHEMISTRY
DECOMPOSITION
DISTRIBUTION
EFFICIENCY
GLASS
NIOBIUM 95
NIOBIUM COMPOUNDS
NITRIC ACID
RADIOCHEMISTRY
REFRACTORIES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUBILITY
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SOLVENTS
TBP
VYCOR
WATER
ZIRCONIUM 95
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS