Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Science - Department of Inorganic Chemistry

This work has been carried out to investigate the process of separation and purification of uranium from different leach liquors by a solvent extraction method using both oximes and quaternary amines. This studied relevant factors include mainly; types of extractant, type of diluents, the effect of the equilibrium time, the effect of pH, effect of adding a soluble complexing agent, effect of aqueous to organic phase ratio (A/O), salting out agent effect, synergism and mixed extracts system effect and the effect of temperature. Aliphatic kerosene diluents were preferred compared to aromatic diluents because of higher extraction, shorter equilibrium time and good phase separation. Increasing temperature had a negative effect on the extraction process by oximes and a negative enthalpy change was found indicating an exothermic extraction reaction. While in the case of extraction process by quaternary amine increasing temperature has a positive effect and a positive enthalpy change was found indicating an endothermic extraction reaction. The separation and purification process of U(VI) by the oxime is firstly carried out over synthetic solution that results in the optimum conditions that being used on the actual acidic leach liquor of Rosetta monazite. While in the case of the separation and purification processes by quaternary amine carried out on the leach liquor obtained from alkaline treatment of Rosetta monazite. The different studied operations are systematically presented in the flowsheet

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