Experimental investigation was performed on the recovery of uranium(VI) from Wet Process Phosphoric Acid by the novel liquid surfactant membrane with carrier mediated counter transport mechanism through batch operation.
The membrane carriers used were $D_2$ EHPA and TOPO showing the synergistic effect. The extraction of uranium(VI) was an exothermic reaction and the stripping of uranium complex was an endothermic reaction. The various experimental variables such as temperature of system, viscosity of membrane, concentration of surfactant, stirring speed and W/O ratio of emulsion had to be properly controlled in order to maintain both the membrane stability and the recovery efficiency of uranium. In the transfer mechanism of uranium(VI), both diffusion and stripping reaction were rate determining steps. By use of ICP-Emission Spectroscopy as an analysis instrument, the efficiency of recovery and membrane breakage were simultaneously measured.
The mathematical model presented to describe the transfer mechanism of uranium was found to be in good correlation with experimental data.
