Facilitated Transport of Americium(III) from Nitric Acid Media using 3-Phenyl-4-Benzoyl-5-Isoxazolone and Tri-N-Octyl Phosphine Oxide in Dodecane as the Carrier

Abstract

Carrier mediated transport of Am(III) was investigated employing flat-sheet supported liquid membrane technique using a mixture of tri-n-octyl phosphine oxide (TOPO) and 3-phenyl-4-benzoyl-5-isoxazolone (HPBI) in dodecane as the carrier. At a fixed concentration of TOPO (0.2 M), the permeability coefficient (P) increased linearly (from 7X10" cm/s to 2.5 X 10"' cm/s) with HPBI concentration (2.41 X 10 ' M to 2.50 X 10"^ M) and remained constant thereafter. The P values tend to vary with the feed acidity as well as with strip conditions. The solvent extraction experiments revealed more efficient Stripping with 6 M HNO, as compared to 1 M oxalic acid while an opposite trend was observed in the transport studies. It was possible to achieve >90% transport of Am(ni) in about 4 hours time when the feed acidity <1 M HNO, and the carrier concentration was 0.1 M HPBI -I-0.2 M TOPO.