Solvent extraction of rare earth metals from nitrate solutions with di(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinate of methyltrioctylammonium

The mechanisms of the extraction of rare earth metals from nitrate media with the binary extractant-methyltrioctylammonium di(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinate with the formation of extracted species of different composition in the organic phase have been suggested. Compositions of the extracted species which distribution is satisfactorily described by the calculated curves have been determined. The calculated concentration values obtained by using the proposed equations were found to be in a good agreement with the experimentally obtained values for lanthanum and ytterbium extraction with the binary extractant from nitrate solutions. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.