Effect of diluents on the extraction of thorium nitrate with tributyl phosphate

Abstract

AbstractInvestigations on the extraction of thorium nitrate with TBP diluted with various diluents were made. At lower concentrations of thorium (< 150g ThO2/1) and lower concentrations of nitric acid (< 57 ‐ HNO3) in the aqueous solution, extraction depends very much on the nature of diluents used. The greatest extraction ability is shown by TBP diluted with commercial keresene than with toiuene, rising sun kerosene, benzene, n‐hexane, xylene, carbon tetrachloride, diethyl ether and di‐isopropyl ether. At higher concentrations of thorium (> 150 gThO2/1) and /or higher nitric acid concentrations (>10 M‐HNO3/1) as well as very low nitric acid concentrations (<1 M‐HNO3/1) differences in the distribution coefficient of thorium decrease and almost disappear. Also, at very low and very high concentrations of TBP the dependence of distribution coefficient of thorium on the nature of the diluents is very small.