STUDIES ON SEPARATION OF NITRATE COMPLEXES OF YTTRIUM(III) FROM NEODYMIUM(III) ON VARIOUS TYPES OF ANION-EXCHANGERS IN THE SYSTEM CH3OH-H2O-HNO3

The investigation of selective separation of nitrate complexes of Y(II I) from Nd(III) in the system Ln(NO3)3 - 90 % v/v CH3OH + 10 % 7 M HNO 3 by frontal analysis on various anion-exchangers was studied. This pr oblem was investigated by purifying several hundred gramme quantities of Y(III) from 1 % Nd(III) (concentration about 25 g Ln2O3/dm3). The i nfluence of the following parameters was studied: degree of cross-link ing, kind of functional groups, structure of anion-exchanger skeletons and skeleton porosity. The most effective results in purification of yttrium(III) from neodymium(III) were obtained for the strongly basic, macroporous anion-exchanger Lewatit MP 5080 (on 1 dm3 - of Lewatit MP 5080 - 1.882 kg Y2O3). The evidence of this is the largest value of t he bed distribution coefficient of neodymium(III) lambda' = 79 as well as the highest number of theoretical plates N = 1351.