Selective Facilitated Transport of Uranium(VI) Across a Bulk Liquid Membrane Containing Benzoyltrifluoroacetone as Extractant-Carrier

Abstract

A study has been made on carrier-mediated transport of uranium(VI) using a bulk liquid membrane prepared by dissolving benzoyltrifluoroacetone (HBTA) in carbon tetrachloride. The source phase comprised of a solution of UO₂ ²⁺ or its binary mixture with other cations such as Th⁴⁺, Hf⁴⁺, Zr⁴⁺, Fe³⁺, La³⁺, Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Zn²⁺ in aqueous solutions of pH 6.0, while 0.1 M hydrochloric acid was serving as a stripping agent in the receiving compartment. The interference from Th⁴⁺ and a few other cations could be eliminated by using trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (DCTA) as a proper masking agent in the feed solution. Various factors influencing the transport process have been studied and an uphill transport (>99%) of uranium(VI) from the source phase could be accomplished under optimum conditions.

Keywords:

• Benzoyltrifluroacetone
• bulk liquid membrane
• uphill transport
• Uranyl ions

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The support of this work by a research grant from the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) is gratefully acknowledged.

Notes

^a Conditions: source phase, 5 mL of 1.0 × 10⁻⁴ M of each cation in the binary mixture at pH 6.0; membrane phase, 20 mL of 0.02 M HBTA in CCl₄; receiving phase, 10 mL of HCl; time of transport 6 h.

^b In the presence of 0.01 M DCTA.

^c In the presence of 0.01 M DCTA + 0.001 M F⁻.

^d In the presence of 0.01 M DCTA + 0.01 M F⁻.