Carbonate extraction-based refining of uranium. Separation of U(VI), Ce(IV), and Ln(III) from aqueous carbonate solutions with methyltrioctylammonium carbonate

Abstract

The extraction of U(VI), Ce(IV), La(III), Nd(III), Sm(III), and Y(III) from an aqueous solution of Na₂CO₃ (0.25 mol/L) resulting from oxidative dissolution of U(IV) in the presence of H₂O₂ into a solution of methyltrioctylammonium carbonate (0.25 mol/L) in toluene. It was found that β_{U(VI)/Ln(III)} values vary from ~8 to 3290 as the O : W ratio changes from 2 : 1 to 10 : 1, while β_U(VI)/Ce(IV) varies from ~1.5 to 10, which allows for the extraction separation of U(VI) from Ce(IV) in a 8- to 10-stage counter-current extraction cascade and from Ln(III) in 2- to 3-stage cascade under the same conditions.