Separation of uranium from nitric- and hydrochloric-acid solutions with extractant-coated magnetic microparticles

The magnetically assisted chemical separation (MACS) process utilizes selective magnetic microparticle composites to separate dissolved metals from solution. In this study, MACS particles were coated with neutral and acidic organophosphorus extractants, octyl(phenyl)-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylmethyl phosphine oxide (CMPO), tributyl phosphate (TBP), trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO), and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D(2)EHPA or HDEHP) and were evaluated for the separation of uranyl ions from nitric- and hydrochloric-acid solutions. The results suggest that a synergistic interaction between the particle surface and solvent coating may explain why the particles display, in some cases, orders of magnitude of higher partitioning coefficients than are estimated from solvent-extraction measurements. Particles coated with TBP and those coated with a combination of TOPO and D(2)EHPA displayed the most desirable characteristics for removing uranium from dilute acid environments typical of contaminated groundwater. Uranium separation from moderate to highly acidic waste streams typical of Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear wastes is best accomplished using particles coated with a combination of CMPO and TBP.