Selective Extraction of Yttrium (III) in Aqueous Media Using Liquid Membrane

2-Thenoyltrifluoroacetone (HTTA) has been proposed as a carrier in organic phase for the transport and selective extraction of yttrium using bulk liquid membrane system. The liquid membrane was prepared by dissolving HTTA in dichloromethane. It has been observed that the use of n-propylamine (n-PA) in source phase as a synergistic agent causes an enhancement in transport of yttrium ions. The extraction and stripping conditions have entirely been evaluated and described. The proposed method has been utilized for the separation of yttrium (III) from its binary mixtures with strontium (II) and some other cations such as Ni (II), Co (II), Ag (I), Fe (II), Al (III), Cu (II), Hg (II) and Cs(I) in aqueous solutions of pH 5.4 in the presence of n-PA, while 1M nitric acid was serving as a stripping agent in the receiving compartment. Cyanide ion and 5-sulfosalicylic acid have been used as masking agents to minimize the interferences from different transition metal ions and Al (III) in source phase,respectively.At the achieved optimized conditions and a discrete experiment, 90Y in secular equilibrium with 90Srin the source phase, was transferred into receiving phase and separated completely from its long-lived parent isotope.