STUDIES ON THE URANIUM EXTRACTION EQUILIBRIA, PHOTOLYTIC, AND HYDROLYTIC REACTIONS IN SYSTEMS CONTAINING TRI-n-BUTOXYETHYL PHOSPHATE
The extraction equilibria in the system aqueous hydrochloric acid – uranyl chloride –undiluted tri-n-butoxyethyl phosphate, TBEP, were examined as a function of increasing uranyl concentration (0.44 to 4.41 M) in the initial aqueous solution, the acid content of the initial aqueous solution being kept constant at 6.76 M. The extraction behavior of TBEP is found to be different from that of tributyl phosphate. Evidence has been presented to show that the three ethereal oxygen atoms in the TBEP molecule are, under high organic phase loading conditions, available for participation in complexation. The hydrochloric acid promoted hydrolysis of TBEP and the instability toward light of the TBEP layer containing hydrochloric acid and uranium were also examined.