Uranium Permeation from Nitrate Medium Across Supported Liquid Membrane Containing Acidic Organophosphorous Extractants and their Mixtures with Neutral Oxodonors

Permeation of U(VI) from nitric acid solution has been studied across supported liquid membrane (SLM) using bis[2,4,4 trimethyl pentyl] phosphinic acid (Cyanex 272) either alone or in combination with neutral donors like Cyanex 923 (a mixture of four trialkyl phosphine oxides viz. R3PO, R2R'PO, RR2'PO, and R-3'PO where R: n-octyl and R': n-hexyl chain), TBP (tri-n-butyl phosphate), and TEHP (tris-2-ethylhexyl phosphate) dissolved in n-paraffin as carriers. Effect of various other parameters such as nature and concentration of receiver phase, feed acidity, uranium concentration, pore size, and membrane thickness on U(VI) transport across SLM were investigated. Transport behavior of U(VI) was also compared with other derivatives of phosphoric acids like 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid-mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (PC88A), dinonyl phenyl phosphoric acid (DNPPA) under identical conditions and it followed the order: Cyanex 272 > PC88A > DNPPA. 2 M H2SO4 was suitable for effective U(VI) transport across SLM. Presence of neutral donors in carrier showed significant enhancement in U(VI) permeation in the order: Cyanex 923 > TBP > TEHP. U(VI) transport decreased with increased membrane thickness as well as decrease in pore size. The optimized conditions were tested for recovery of U(VI) from uranyl nitrate raffinate (UNR) waste generated during purification of uranium.