Separation and Extraction of Uranium from Leach Liquor Containing Uranium and Molybdenum by Solvent Extraction with LIX 622N

• Published in: Journal of dispersion science and technology Vol. 35; no. 4; pp. 599 - 606
• Main Authors: Ibrahim, M. E., Lasheen, T. A., Hassib, H. B., Helal, A. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis Group 03.04.2014; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; Derivatives; Exact sciences and technology; extraction of uranium; General and physical chemistry; Ions; Liquor; LIX 622N; Molybdenum; molybdenum-uranium; Phase ratio; Solvent extraction; Spectra; Stripping; Uranium; Separation; Uranium; extraction of uranium; molybdenum-uranium; Transition metal; LIX 622N; Solvent extraction; Molybdenum
• ISSN: 0193-2691; 1532-2351
• DOI: 10.1080/01932691.2013.811685

The leach liquor (0.5 g/L Mo, 0.05 g/L U) obtained from the leaching process of molybdenum-uranium ore material was treated using solvent extraction to recover U(VI) by LIX 622N, which is a salicylaldoxime derivative. The influence of various basic variables such as pH, concentration of LIX 622N, temperature, different stripping reagents, phase ratio, and diluents was examined. Using 10% LIX 622N with the aqueous solution of equilibrium pH 6.0 and a phase ratio organic phase:aqueous phase (O:A) = 1:1, a two-stage McCabe-Thiele plot was constructed, which showed 99.9% of U extraction with no co-extraction of molybdenum. This was confirmed by a 6-cycle counter current simulation (CCS) study. The obtained data of temperature on the extraction of uranium showed that the extraction process is exothermic with enthalpy change of −20.949 kJ mol −1 . The stripping of U(VI) was quantitative using 4 M H 2 SO 4 . The stable complex UO 2 (HSO 4 )R org formed during extraction, which supports the cation exchange mechanism, and was confirmed by FTIR spectral analysis.