Study of Zirconium and Hafnium Separation by Solvent Extraction Technique from Nitric and Hydrochloric Solutions with Acid, Basic and Neutral Extractants

This paper describes the study of the extraction of Zr and Hf in nitric and hydrochloric media by solvent extraction technique using different types of extractants. The effect of the extractants DEHPA, IONQUEST?801 and CYANEX?272, TBP, CYANEX?923, PRIMENE?JTM, ALAMINE?336 and ALIQUAT?336 was investigated. For acid extractants in both nitric and hydrochloric media, a high degree of extraction was observed, although they had low selectivity in separating the metals. For the acid extractants also, it was not possible to strip the metals from the organic phase through acid solutions. In this case, a stripping solution with very high acidity would be required, and this is not viable. When the basic extractants were used, no metal extraction was observed under the conditions investigated, indicating no extractable anionic species in either media. The optimum zirconium/hafnium separation was achieved using an acidity of 7.0 mol?L?1, nitrate concentration of 9.2 mol?L?1 and 1.5 mol?L?1 of TBP. In these conditions, a separation factor of 12.6 was obtained.