Separation of similar elements and isotopes separation in non-stationary conditions

Abstract

The new separation extraction method was created based on oscillatory extraction/stripping process in two extractors coupled by bulk liquid membrane (LM). The experimental set-up to investigate the kinetics of non-stationary processes was built in Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology at Rare Earth Department. To induce the oscillatory extraction–stripping process the cyclic Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction or cyclic electrochemical oxidation–reduction was used. The experimental evidences of cerium and neodymium isotopes separation were obtained. The separation of 142Ce and 140Ce isotopes between aqueous phases of two extractors coupled by bulk LM in the experiments with cyclic chemical oxidation/reduction with enrichment factor about 2.5% was observed. In the same conditions the separation of the Nd isotopes (heavy isotopes of Nd: 144Nd, 145Nd, 146Nd, 148Nd and 150Nd from the light isotope: 143Nd) in the same experiment with enrichment factor about 0.7–1.4% was observed.