Method of separating thulium, ytterbium and lutetium through extraction

Abstract

The invention discloses a method of separating thulium, ytterbium and lutetium through extraction, and belongs to the technical field of rare earth metal extraction. The method includes the steps of: (1) separating a TmYbLu chloride solution with an organic phase, which supports a TmYb water phase, and a (YbLu)Cl3 solution; (2) separating the TmYb water phase with the organic phase and a YbCl3 solution to obtain a pure Tm water phase and a Yb organic phase, and dividing the supported organic phase and feeding the supported organic phase into the step (1) to separate the TmYbLu chloride solution; (3) separating a YbLu organic phase with a LuCl3 solution and the Yb organic phase, and feeding a part of a pure Yb water phase to the step (2); (4) in a Yb / Lu separation trough, dividing a part of a YbLu water phase and feeding the YbLu water phase into the step (1). The method is used for extraction separation of high-purity thulium, ytterbium and lutetium, is low in separation cost and generates less separation wastewater, has high product recovery rate and is short in separation time.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a method for extracting rare earth metals, more specifically, to a method for extracting and separating high-purity thulium, ytterbium and lutetium. Background technique [0002] single Tm 2 o 3 , Yb 2 o 3 、Lu 2 o 3 The products can be used in industries such as X-ray devices, reactor control materials, phosphor activators, and garnet additives. With the development of the high-tech industry, its application fields are constantly expanding, and the demand for products is also increasing. [0003] High purity Tm 2 o 3 , Yb 2 o 3 、Lu 2 o 3 Product production methods mainly include: extraction chromatography and extraction. The main disadvantages of extraction chromatography are: the required equipment is complex, the reagents are expensive, and a constant temperature device is required, and the requirements for the plant environment are also high, so the equipment investment is large, maintenance is difficult, and th...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

The main disadvantages of extraction chromatography are: the required equipment is complex, the reagents are expensive, and a constant temperature device is required, and the requirements for the plant environment are also high, so the equipment investment is large, maintenance is difficult, and the production process is discontinuous, and the amount of one-time feeding is small. The production cycle is long, the consumption of reagents such as acid and alkali per unit output is high, and the product recovery rate is low; at the same time, this method requires high personnel quality and production management level

Among them, the Cyanex272 system extractant is expensive, the extraction capacity is low, the average separation coefficient is small (~1.3), the investment in reagents and equipment is large, the quality of the feed liquid is high, and the separation system is easy to emulsify. The production process is difficult to control; while the P507 system is produced, although The separation coefficient is relatively large, but the equilibrium time is required to be very long (about 30 minutes), which is 5 times that of the general extraction and separation equilibrium time, which greatly reduces the utilization rate of reagents and equipment, and the extraction equilibrium acidity is high, and the extracted thulium and ytterbium in the organic phase Lutetium is difficult to back-extract, the product yield is low, and even cannot be produced continuously