Studies on extraction of uranium from phosphoric acid using PN-1200 extractant

A new efficient extractant of polyalkyl phosphazenes, PN-1200 (supplied by All-Russian Research Institute of Chemical Technology), was used for the separation of uranium from wet process phosphoric acid (PA) in a batch process at laboratory scale. Solvent extraction of uranium from 29% P2O5 phosphoric acid using PN-1200 was compared with uranium extraction from phosphoric acid using synergistic mixtures of D(2)EHPA+TOPO and D(2)EHPA + TRPO. All extractants were diluted in normal aliphatic kerosene. It is concluded that PN-1200 has some good properties, such as high uranium distribution coefficient, good stability, acceptable kinetics, good phase separation, and simultaneous extraction of U4+ and U6+. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.