Abstract:
Extraction equilibria of rare-earth nitrate ions from monazite with tributyl phosphate in kerosene were carried out with equivolume ratio at ambient temperature. After extraction, all rare-earth nitrate ions had to be stripped with equivolume from kerosene with 0.05 M nitric solution. The effects of tributyl phosphate and rare earth nitrate concentrations on extraction and stripping equilibria were investigated. The forward and reverse equilibria were achieved within 1 minute period. The extraction equilibrium constant of each rare earth nitrate ion was proportional to tributyl phoshate concentrations, leading to determination of simultaneously chemical equilibrium constants of the corresponding rare-earth nitrate ions. While the stripping equilibrium constants decreased exponentially with the increase in tributyl phosphate concentrations. However, the reverse chemical equilibrium constants were much greater than the forward ones. By diluting the rare-earth nitrate solutions, both the extraction and chemical equilibrium constants of each rare-earth nitrate ion were reduced inproportionally. Again the reverse chemical equilibrium constants were much greater than the corresponding forward ones.