“…The methods available for the separation of a diluent from the solvent phase usually involve distillation of diluent at low pressure and a conventional chromatographic procedure, etc., which are energy intensive and uneconomical. 38,39 However, the present study, as a spin-off, provides the possibility of separating n-dodecane diluent from the spent organic phase by simply forming a third phase with nitric acid or Nd(III), followed by a convenient separation of the diluent-rich phase.…”