Comparison of Cyanex 272 and Cyanex 572 for the separation of Neodymium from a Nd/Tb/Dy mixture by pertraction

BACKGROUNDRecovering Nd(III) from waste magnets is an alternative method to satisfy the increasing demand for this metal. For this reason, the separation of Nd from a mixture containing Nd/Tb/Dy in chloride media using Cyanex 272 and Cyanex 572 has been evaluated. RESULTSUsing Cyanex 272 and Cyanex 572, the metals are transported in the order Dy(III) > Tb(III) > > Nd(III) in all conditions studied. The optimum feed conditions to achieve Nd(III) separation are: Cyanex 272: pH 2 and Cyanex 572: pH 1.5 with 1.2 mol L-1 HCl as a receiving agent for both carriers. CONCLUSIONThe results obtained suggest that Cyanex 572 is a better carrier than Cyanex 272 for separating Nd(III) from a mixture containing Nd/Tb/Dy. (c) 2017 Society of Chemical Industry