Extraction of rare earths with mixtures of TBP and quaternary ammonium base salt from nitrate solutions

Data have been obtained on partition of rare-earth elements during extraction by mixtures of trialkylbenzylammonium nitrate (TABA) and tributylphosphate (TBP) depending on concentration of nitric acid and a salting-out agent. A considerable synergetic effect was found upon extraction from neutral solutions. The following composition of a compound being extracted was determined for extraction of neodymium by a mixture of above-mentioned extracting agents: [Nd(NO3)4TBP]-[R3R'N]+. The apparent extraction coefficient of this compound is one order as great as that for the case of extraction of neodymium by TABA nitrate and two orders as great as that for TBP