Extraction of rare earths using mixtures of sec-octylphenoxy acetic acid and organophosphorus acids

Abstract

The extraction of rare earths from nitrate medium using three organophosphorus acids, 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (HEHEHP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinic acid (Cyanex272), and their mixtures with sec-octylphenoxy acetic acid (CA12) has been studied in detail. The mixtures have different extraction effects on various rare earths. Synergistic extraction effects are only found when light rare earths and yttrium (III) are extracted with mixtures of D2EHPA and CA12. The possibilities of separating the rare earths with these mixtures are investigated according to the extractabilities. It is feasible and advantageous to separate yttrium (III) from the lanthanoids (III) with HEHEHP + CA12 and D2EHPA+CA12 mixtures at proper extractant ratios. The separation of yttrium (III) from heavy rare earths is also possible with mixtures of Cyanex272 and CA12.