Solvent Extraction of Scandium and Yttrium Using Carboxylic Acid

Jeong-Yi Moon,Kazuharu Yoshizuka,Syouhei Nishihama,M Shimada

doi:10.1051/matecconf/202133304010

Jeong-Yi Moon, Kazuharu Yoshizuka + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/202133304010

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Abstract

Separation of scandium (Sc) from yttrium (Y) in aqueous chloride media by solvent extraction using Versatic acid 10 was investigated. Conventional slope analysis method revealed the extraction equilibrium formulation of the metals. Sc is more strongly extracted than Y by Versatic acid 10, and the separation factor of the metals is quite high at 1.93 × 104. Complete stripping of Sc from the loaded organic solution of Versatic acid 10 was achieved by 3M HCl solution. Then Versatic acid 10 was applied to solvent impregnated resin (SIR), separation of Sc was progressed via Langmuir adsorption model.

Highlights

Scandium (Sc) is one of the rare earth metals in high demand, providing excellent characteristics for various industrial applications (USGS, 2018; Paulick and Machacek, 2017)
Since Sc is similar to yttrium (Y) and the heavy lanthanides owing to its small ionic radius, it is commonly found together with Y and heavy lanthanides
Solvent extraction is carried out using functional groups of particular interest, taking into account such disadvantages as use of large amounts of organic solvents with the advantages of high selectivity and ease of scale-up

Summary

Introduction

Scandium (Sc) is one of the rare earth metals in high demand, providing excellent characteristics for various industrial applications (USGS, 2018; Paulick and Machacek, 2017). Separation of rare earth metals is generally performed hydrometallurgical processes. Solvent extraction is one of the most widely used hydrometallurgical processes for the separation and purification of rare earth elements (Wang and Li, 1995 ; Wang et al, 2002; Jia et al, 2009). When naphthenic acid in kerosene was used as the organic phase and hydrochloric acid was used as the stripping solution, the separation factor of Sc over all rare earth elements was very high and the order of separation of Sc was far ahead of Y (Liao et al, 2001). Sc3+ was extracted separately at pH 3 to 5 from other rare earth metal ions, extraction mechanism by Versatic acid 10 was not demonstrated (Baba et al, 2014). Versatic acid 10 impregnated SIR was employed in batchwise adsorption

Reagents

Extraction of Sc

Preparation and coating of SIR

Adsorption of Sc and Y with SIR

Conclusion