Separation of rare earth elements from the leaching solution of waste phosphors by solvent extraction with Cyanex 272 and its mixture with Alamine 336
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Mokpo National University
Publication date: 2019-12-02
Physicochem. Probl. Miner. Process. 2020;56(1):184-194
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ABSTRACT
Waste phosphors contain rare earth elements (REEs) such as yttrium (Y), europium (Eu), cerium (Ce), terbium (Tb) and lanthanum (La). Separation of these REEs from the leaching solution of waste phosphors was investigated by solvent extraction with single Cyanex 272, binary mixture (mixture of Cyanex 272 and Alamine 336), ionic liquid (prepared by Cyanex 272 and Aliquat 336) in kerosene. The effect of solution pH and extractants concentration was mainly investigated. The results indicated that Y(III) was selectively extracted by single Cyanex 272 over the other four REEs from the HCl solution with initial pH range from 3 to 5. Synergistic extraction with the binary mixture was enough for the extraction of Y(III), Tb(III) and Eu(III) with a small amount of Ce(III). Scrubbing with pure Y(III) solution with intermediate acidity was effective in scrubbing Ce(III) from the loaded binary mixture organic phase. Stripping behavior of the Y(III), Tb(III) and Eu(III) by HCl solution was similar to each other. Tb(III) and Eu(III) can be separated by extraction with the binary mixture followed by scrubbing with pure Tb(III) solution. McCabe-Thiele diagrams were constructed for the extraction of Y(III) by single Cyanex 272 and that of Tb(III) by the mixture. A process was proposed for the separation of REEs from the leaching solution of waste phosphors by solvent extraction.