Recovery and pre-concentration of americium (III) from dilute acid solutions using an emulsion liquid membrane containing di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) as extractant

Abstract

An emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) con- taining di-2-ethylhexylphosphoric acid (D2EHPA) as the carrier extractant and SPAN 80 as the surfactant was used to pre-concentrate Am 3? from dilute acid solutions. Effects of various factors such as: external phase pH, internal phase conditions, equilibration time, D2EHPA concentra- tion, SPAN 80 concentration, etc. on Am 3? mass transfer were investigated. Emulsion was broken by the addition of solvents such as acetone and the actual mass transfer obtained after breaking the emulsion agreed well with that obtained by the difference method.