Solvent extraction separation of zirconium(IV) from succinate media with N-n-octylaniline

The extraction behavior of zirconium(IV) from succinate (0.01 – 0.03 M) medium (25 mL) with 10 mL 3 % N-n-octylaniline in xylene was investigated. The pH range 3.7 – 5.0 was effective for the quantitative extraction of zirconium(IV). Zirconium(IV) was back extracted with 0.5 M HNO3 (3 × 5 mL). The method was free from interferences of a large number of cations and anions. Zirconium(IV) was separated from associated elements in its binary mixture with Mo(VI), Nb(V), Re(VII), La(III), Ti(IV), Th(IV) and Al(III). The proposed method was applied to synthetic mixtures. The results of analysis indicate that trace amounts of zirconium(IV) could be separated effectively from higher amounts of other elements. The method is simple, selective, rapid and eco-friendly.