Magnetic Assisted Separation of Trivalent F- Elements from Dilute Nitric Acid Medium

Abstract

The thio glycolamic acid functional groups were chemically anchored on magnetic iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) particles and it was characterized by TG-DTA, XRD, and scanning electron microscopy. The extraction behavior of hazardous Am(III) and Eu(III) from dilute nitric acid medium in the sorbent (abbreviated as Fe-SDGAH) was studied. The effect of various parameters such as the duration of equilibration, and concentrations of nitric acid and europium ion in aqueous phase on the distribution coefficient (K_d) of Am(III) and Eu(III) was studied. The studies indicated the possibility of using Fe-SDGAH particles for magnetic separation of Eu(III) and Am(III) with high decontamination factors.

Keywords:

• magnetic separation
• organo modification
• thioglycolamic acid
• europium(III)
• americium(III)
• distribution coefficient

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank Dr. G. Paneer Selvam for recording XRD pattern and Dr. Lakshmi Narasimhan, IGCAR for recording TG-DTA data.