%0 Journal Article
%T Influence of Co-Solvent on the Extraction Behaviour of Uranium and Thorium Nitrates with Organophosphorous Compounds
%A K. C. Pitchaiah
%A K. Sujatha
%A C. V. S. Brahmmananda Rao
%A N. Sivaraman
%A T. G. Srinivasan
%A K. Nagarajan
%A P. R. Vasudeva Rao
%J International Journal of Analytical Mass Spectrometry and Chromatography
%P 33-42
%@ 2332-1776
%D 2014
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/ijamsc.2014.22004
%X <p align=\"justify\">
	Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) is emerging as a powerful technique in the extraction of metal ions. In the present study, the extraction of nitrates of uranium and thorium was carried out using supercritical carbon dioxide (Sc-CO<sub>2</sub>) modified with various organophosphorous compounds such as dialkylalkyl phosphonates, trialkyl phosphates and trialkyl phosphine oxides in the presence of co-solvents such as methanol, dichlormethane and n-hexane. The influence of ligand and co-solvent on the extraction of the metal nitrates was studied in detail. These studies have established that co-solvent plays an important role in the extraction as well as fractionation of uranium and thorium nitrates. Polar co-solvent, methanol provided faster extraction without fractionation whereas the non-polar solvent, e.g. n-hexane provided some fractionation of metal nitrates though the extraction kinetics was slower.
</p>
%K Co-Solvent
%K Uranium and Thorium
%K Organophosphorous Compounds
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=47506