Generic placeholder image

Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1386-2073
ISSN (Online): 1875-5402

Research Article

Synergistic Extraction of Europium (III) using Di-n-Butylsulfoxide and Picrolonic Acid

Author(s): Srosh Fazil, Farid Menaa*, Khurram Liaqat, Muhammad Haleem Khan, Wajid Rehman*, Mohammad Mansoob Khan, Siraj ul Haq, Muhammad Sajid, Muhammad Farooq, Bouzid Menaa and Muhammad Hafeez

Volume 25, Issue 5, 2022

Published on: 10 February, 2021

Page: [861 - 869] Pages: 9

DOI: 10.2174/1386207324666210210105511

Price: $65

conference banner
Abstract

Aim and Objective: Europium (Eu(III)) is a rare-earth metal, the softest, least dense, and most volatile member of lanthanides. It is greatly applied in the control rods of nuclear reactors. Although various extraction methods of Eu(III) have been reported, we present a novel mixture of easily available extractants in optimized experimental conditions to extract it efficiently, quickly, and cost-effectively.

Materials and Methods: Physical-chemical conditions (e.g., pH, equilibration time, temperature, europium concentration, extractants concentration, presence of specific metal ions) were optimized. The extractants, picrolonic acid (HPA) and di-n-butylsulfoxide (DBSO), were thoroughly mixed at equal concentration in chloroform. Standard Eu(III) solution was used for determining the method’s accuracy. Reagent blank was prepared under identical conditions but without metal ions. Using the metallochromic dye arsenazo III as the blank, the absorbance of Eu(III) was measured spectrophotometrically at 651 nm. The distribution ratio (i.e., Eu(III) concentration in the aqueous phase before and after extraction) defined the extraction yield.

Results: HPA/DBSO mixture (0.01 M) had a synergistic effect on Eu(III) extraction (1.19×10-5 mole/dm3), achieving a maximum yield (≥ 99%) at pH 2, during 5 minutes equilibration at room temperature. Eu(III) extraction was reduced depending on the nature but not on the metal ions concentration. Extractants could be recycled four times without consequent degradation. Deionized water (dH2O) was the best strippant besides its availability and low-cost. The composition of the extracted adduct was defined as Eu(PA)3.2DBSO.

Conclusion: This alternative method was found to be stable, simple, rapid, cost-effective, reliable, accurate and sensitive. It could be used for Eu(III) extraction and refining on a pilot plant scale.

Keywords: Synergistic extraction, europium, di-n-butylsulfoxide (DBSO), picrolonic Acid (HPA), ores processing, spectrophotometry.

Graphical Abstract

[1]
Gschneidner, K.A.; Eyring, L. Handbook on the physics and chemistry of rare earths, Elsevier: Amsterdam. 2002.
[2]
McCoy, H.N. The extraction of europium from monazite residues and the preparation of pure europium compounds. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1936, 58, 2279-2281.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja01302a056]
[3]
Batchu, N.K.; Dewulf, B.; Riaño, S.; Binnemans, K. Development of a solvometallurgical process for the separation of yttrium and europium by Cyanex 923 from ethylene glycol solutions. Separ. Purif. Tech., 2020, 235, 116193.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2019.116193]
[4]
Yekta, Z.S.; Yaftian, M.R.; Nilchi, A. Extraction-separation of Eu (III) and Th(IV) ions from nitrate media into a room-temperature ionic liquid. J. Iran. Chem. Soc., 2013, 10, 221-227.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13738-012-0144-x]
[5]
Mathur, J.N. Synergism of tarvalent actinides and lanthanides. Solvent Extr. Ion Exch., 1983, 1, 2.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07366298308918406]
[6]
Ramakrishna, V.; Patil, S.; Reddy, L.; Reddy, A. Solvent extraction of Tm(III) by sulfoxides and mixtures of DPSO (di-N-pentylsulfoxide) and HTTA (thenoyl-trifluoroacetone) from perchlorate and thiocyanate media. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 1978, 47, 1-2.
[7]
Mathur, J.N.; Pai, S.A.; Khopkar, P.K.; Subramanian, M.S. Thermodynamics of synergistic extract, ion of europium (III) by mixtures of thenoyltrifluoroacetoneand some neutral oxo-donors. J. Inorg. Nucl. Chem., 1977, 653-657.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0022-1902(77)80582-4]
[8]
Rout, A.; Venkatesan, K.A. Synergic extraction of europium (III) in hydrophobic ammonium ionic liquid containing neutral and acidic extractants. J. Mol. Liq., 2020, 312, 113377.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2020.113377]
[9]
Atanassova, M.; Kurteva, V. Synergism in the solvent extraction of europium (III) with thenoyltrifluoroacetone and CMPO in methylimidazolium ionic liquids. J. Solution Chem., 2019, 48, 15-30.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10953-019-00844-8]
[10]
Dai, Y.; Cao, B.; Zhong, S.; Xie, G.; Wang, Y.; Liu, Y.; Zhang, Z.; Liu, Y.; Cao, X. Homogeneous liquid–liquid extraction of europium from aqueous solution with ionic liquids. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 2019, 319, 1219-1225.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06419-7]
[11]
Abbasi, Y.A.; Shahida, S.; Ali, A.; Khan, M.H.; Khan, M.I. Liquid–liquid extraction of neodymium (III) and europium (III) using synergic mixture of furosemide and tribenzylamine in benzyl alcohol. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 2019, 320, 273-282.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06467-z]
[12]
Rehman, H.; Ali, A.; Waqar, F. Synergistic extraction of Eu (III) with mixture of picrolonic acid and neutral organophosphorous extractants. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 2015, 303, 139-145.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3440-3]
[13]
Khan, M.H.; Ali, A.; Khan, N. Spectrophotometric determination of thorium with disodium salt of arsenazo-III in perchloric acid. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 2001, 250, 353-357.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1017968217578]
[14]
Khan, M.H.; Warwick, P.; Evans, N. Spectrophotometric determination of uranium with arsenazo-III in perchloric acid. Chemosphere, 2006, 63(7), 1165-1169.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.09.060] [PMID: 16297431]
[15]
Khan, M.H.; Hafeez, M.; Bukhari, S.M.H.; Ali, A. Spectrophotometric determination of microamounts of thorium with thorin in the presence of cetylpyridinium chloride as surfactant in perchloric acid. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 2014, 301, 703-709.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3201-3]
[16]
Ali, A. Extraction of Eu (III) and Tm (III) with picrolonic acid in methylisobutylketone. Radiochim. Acta, 2004, 92, 101-104.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1524/ract.92.2.101.27462]
[17]
Asadollahzadeh, M.; Torkaman, R.; Torab-Mostaedi, M. Continuous extraction of europium (III) by ionic liquid in the rotating disk column with an asymmetrical structure aimed at the evaluation of reactive mass transfer. ACS Omega, 2020, 5(30), 18700-18709.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.0c01636] [PMID: 32775872]
[18]
Begum, F.; Khan, M.H.; Mirza, M.A.; Choudhary, M.A.; Baker, R.J. Synergic extraction of europium(III) with 1 M mixture of Di-n-butylsulfoxide and Bis(2,4,4-Trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid in chloroform and its subsequent determination by using arsenazo(III) as chromogenic reagent. Asian J. Chem., 2015, 27, 3609-3615.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.14233/ajchem.2015.18887]
[19]
Bhatti, M.S. Temperature effect on the synergic extraction of europium by thenoyltrifluoroacetone in the presence of heterocyclic bidentate amines from acetate buffer solutions. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 1980, 57, 69-78.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02519866]
[20]
Rout, A.; Souza, E.R.; Binnemans, K. Solvent extraction of europium (III) to a fluorine-free ionic liquid phase with a diglycolamic acid extractant. RSC Adv., 4, 11899-11906.
[21]
Banda, R.; Forte, F.; Onghena, B.; Binnemans, K. Yttrium and europium separation by solvent extraction with undiluted thiocyanate ionic liquids. RSC Advances, 2019, 9, 4876-4883.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C8RA09797F]

Rights & Permissions Print Cite
© 2024 Bentham Science Publishers | Privacy Policy