Extraction and Transport of Thorium(IV) by Polymer Inclusion Membranes Incorporating Di-(2-ethylhexyl) Phosporic Acid as the Carrier Extractant

Extraction and transport of thorium (IV) from nitrate solutions was investigated using  polymer inclusion membrane (PIM), based on di(-2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). This study investigates the influence of the main system parameters (i.e., pH of donor phase, type and concentration of acid  in acceptor  phases, percentage of D2EHPA in the membrane, initial Th(IV) concentration) on the extraction and transport process by means of  batch method. The transport factor of Th(IV) as high as 94.81% were recorded using a membrane composed of 45% D2EHPA, and 55% PVC (w/w) from a solution containing 112 mg L-1 Th(IV) in 0.0158 mol L-1 HNO3 (pH 1.8) into a solution containing 3 mol L-1 H2SO4.