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Temperature‐induced surfactant‐ mediated pre‐concentration of uranium assisted by complexation
Author(s) -
FavreRéguillon Alain,
Murat Denis,
Cote Gérard,
Foos Jacques,
Draye Micheline
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/jctb.1618
Subject(s) - cloud point , extraction (chemistry) , nitric acid , chemistry , pulmonary surfactant , uranium , stripping (fiber) , chelation , yield (engineering) , aqueous solution , metal ions in aqueous solution , metal , phase (matter) , aqueous two phase system , 8 hydroxyquinoline , inorganic chemistry , chromatography , nuclear chemistry , materials science , organic chemistry , biochemistry , composite material , metallurgy
Cloud‐point extraction (CPE) was used with lipophilic chelating agent to extract uranium(VI) from aqueous solutions. The methodology used is based on the formation of metal complexes soluble in a micellar phase of a non‐ionic surfactant, Triton X‐114. The metal ions complexes are then extracted into the surfactant‐rich phase at a temperature above the cloud‐point temperature. The influence of surfactant concentration on extraction efficiency was studied and the advantage of adding 8‐hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) as lipophilic chelating agent was evidenced. High extraction efficiency was observed, indicating the feasibility of extracting U(VI) using CPE. This study describes a four‐step process—(1) extraction, (2) thermo‐induced phase splitting, (3) back‐extraction and (4) second phase splitting—for the recovery of uranium from water. In our conditions, the extraction yield is quantitative and the concentration factor obtained is superior to 100. After stripping with a diluted nitric acid solution (pH < 1), the system can be recycled through a new four‐step cycle. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry