Liquid–liquid extraction of uranium(VI) using cyanex 272 in toluene from sodium salicylate medium

Abstract

Liquid–liquid extraction and separation studies of uranium have been carried out from sodium salicylate media using cyanex 272 in toluene. Uranium was quantitatively extracted by 1 × 10−3 M sodium salicylate with 5 × 10−4 M cyanex 272 in toluene. The extracted uranium(VI) was stripped out quantitatively from the organic phase with 1.0 M hydrochloric acid and determined spectrophotometrically with arsenazo(III) at 660 nm. The effect of concentration of sodium salicylate, extractant, diluents, metal ion and strippants has been studied. Separation of uranium(VI) from other elements was achieved from binary as well as from multicomponent mixtures. The method was extended for the separation and determination of uranium(VI) in geological samples. The method is simple, rapid and selective with good reproducibility (approximately ± 2%).