Role of an ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl sulfate in extraction studies of gadolinium oxide

The room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl sulfate was studied for its extraction behavior for Gd-159 in an environmentally benign liquid liquid.,extraction system. The gadolinium oxide when dissolved in nitric acid and extracted in an RTIL/dextran biphasic system, was found to get completely extracted in the IL phase. The otherwise difficult to dissolve gadolinium oxide was found to have some solubility in the IL studied. Biphasic systems consisting of IL/dextran and certain IL/salt were studied for the ex traction behavior of Gd2O3 dissolved in the above RIM. A similar experiment was also done with acid-dissolved gadolinium oxide for comparison.