LIQUID-LIQUID-EXTRACTION AND SEPARATION STUDIES OF YTTRIUM

A simple selective method is presented for the solvent extraction of y ttrium from salicylate media by using triphenylphosphine oxide. Yttriu m is extracted quantitatively from 0.05 mol/l sodium salicylate soluti on at pH 4.5-5.0 using 1.8% triphenylphosphine oxide dissolved in tolu ene as an extractant acid can be subsequently stripped using water and determined spectrophotometrically with Thoron-I. This precise and acc urate method permits the separation of Y from Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Zr, H f. Th and U from binary mixtures and multi-component systems.