Studies on Liquid-Liquid Extraction of Yttrium and Separation from Other Rare Earth Elements Using Bifunctional Ionic Liquids

ABSTRACT

Solvent extraction of yttrium(III) from chloride and nitrate solutions were carried out using two bifunctional ionic liquids Cyphos IL 104 and [A336/Cy272]. Comparative study with their constituent extractants showed higher extraction abilities of the ionic liquids for Y(III). The extraction behavior of yttrium using the above ionic liquids was studied as function of different parameters. Ion association neutral complexes were formed in the organic phase. 0.5 M HNO3 could strip 82% and 75.6 % yttrium from the loaded organic phases of 0.01M [A336/Cy272] and Cyphos IL 104, respectively. Separation studies involving binary systems were also investigated.

KEYWORDS:

• Yttrium
• [A336/Cy272]
• Cyphos IL 104
• extraction
• separation

Acknowledgments

The author is thankful to Cytec Inc. for providing the gift sample of Cyphos IL 104 and Cyanex 272 and also to the President of S‘O’A University for providing the facilities to carry out the research work.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.