Specific features of solvent extraction of REM from phosphoric acid solutions with DEHPA

Abstract

The mechanism of rare earth metal (REM) extraction with the organic solvent called di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid (DEHPA) has been studied in this paper. Using the physicochemical method for the investigation of the composition of organic REM complexes with the extractant, the solvation numbers of the lanthanides were determined. The growth of solvation numbers from neodymium (2) to ytterbium (5) is explained by an increase in the effective charge of the REM atom and, as a result, an increase in the relative stability of the chelating REM complexes with the extractant. The composition of the organic complexes of REM with DEHPA was confirmed by infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The values of the effective thermodynamic constants and standard Gibbs energies of the extraction process are calculated. The increase in the relative stability of lanthanide complexes with DEHPA correlates with a decrease in the ionic radius of the REM.