Tg. Srinivasan et al., 3RD PHASE-FORMATION IN EXTRACTION OF THORIUM NITRATE BY MIXTURES OF TRIALKYL PHOSPHATES, Solvent extraction and ion exchange, 16(4), 1998, pp. 1001-1011
This paper reports the results of the studies on third phase formation
during the extraction of thorium nitrate from zero free acidity solut
ions by mixtures of trialkyl phosphates. The phosphates used are tri n
-butyl phosphate(TBP), triiso butyl phosphate(TiBP), tri sec butyl pho
sphate (TsBP) and tri n-amyl phosphate(TAP). The results indicate that
small additions of a homologous phosphate can alter the Limiting Orga
nic Concentration (LOC) above which the third phase formation takes pl
ace and thus can be advantageously utilised. Use of mixtures of the tr
ialkyl phosphates as extractant can thus obviate the need for adding m
odifiers such as alcohols to the organic phase for avoiding third phas
e formation.