The Behavior of Rare Earth Elements of the Heavy-Medium Group in the Content of the Extract Cyanex®572–TBP in Scrubbing with Nitric Acid

Abstract

The behavior of individual rare earth elements of the heavy-medium group (HMREE) in the composition of extremely loaded mixture of extractants of Cyanex^®572–TBP in the conditions of scrubbing with solutions of nitric acid without rare earths in extraction separation of the concentrate of MREE is discussed. The effect of the concentration of nitric acid in scrubbing solutions on the degree of stripping of the sum and individual HMREE has been studied. The possibility of extraction separation for the lines of Tb–Gd, Dy–Tb, Ho–Dy, and Er–Ho for scrubbing solutions containing less than 0.6 М nitric acid has been shown. The results of the study have been checked on a model counterflow cascade of extractors.