Solvent Extraction of Yttrium from Chloride Solution Using Pc88a and Its Stripping Behavior

Yttrium (Y) is one of the elements major in heavy rare earth elements (HREE) used in various industries such as metallurgy, steel, laser, electronics, optics, superconductors, magnets, color TV tubes and others applications. In nature, the rare earth elements (REE) are associates in fairly multifaceted combination and because of chemical properties likeness and difficult to isolated REE into separate elements. Therefore, solvent extraction of yttrium from chloride solution using organic extractant 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (PC88A) diluted in kerosene and modified with isodecanol was investigated in this study. From solvent extraction study, it was found that 1.0 g of yttrium chlorid Hexahydrate (YCl) loaded into 0.2 M HCl with ratio organic to aqueous ratio 1:3 and 30 minutes contact time were the optimum parameter to recover yttrium using organic mixture of 34% PC88A, 6% isodecanol and 60% Kerosene. Further investigation on stripping behavior also differentiated and deliberated. It was found nitride acids more efficient than hydrochloride and sulfuric acids for yttrium stripping. (author)