Abstract
Samarium is a precious and expensive rare earth metal due to its potential service applications as samarium cobalt magnets at elevated temperature up to 500 °C. The untrammeled demand of samarium and the supply risk of rare earth elements urge researchers to develop recycling processes. Distribution equilibrium of samarium (III) from nitrate medium with TOPO has been investigated taking into account variations in several extraction conditions. Extraction of samarium (III) was found quantitative (100%) using 0.05 M TOPO from 3 M NaNO3 at aqueous pH 3. Based on slope analysis, the extracted species has been proposed as Sm (OH)2 NO3 .3TOPO which was very well supported by FTIR spectral studies. The influence of cobalt (II) on the extraction of samarium (III) has also been studied and in most of the cases there were no extraction of cobalt (II). Temperature had negative impact on the extraction of samarium (III) even in the presence of cobalt (II). Stripping of samarium (III) form loaded 0.05 M TOPO was 100% using 0.02 M HCl. Pure Sm2O3 was successfully recovered from stripped solution of samarium (III) and Co3O4 was recovered from raffinate following oxalate precipitation and calcination. The formation of samarium and cobalt oxide nanoparticles was confirmed from X-ray diffraction, FESEM and EDS studies.
Published Version
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