Currently, alternative energy is essential in the advancement of society to reduce dependence on petroleum, a non-renewable fuel source. Nuclear energy is a promising alternative because it is a low-carbon emission energy source that has the ability to be sustainable and used to meet the ever-rising energy demands. Nuclear research is essential in fully maximizing this alternative energy in order to minimize waste and improve fuel cycles. Dysprosium is a rare earth metal that is created from the splitting of U-235 and Pu-239 in nuclear reactors. By extracting this rare earth metal from nuclear waste, it can be utilized as a resource to numerous industries and technology. This project investigated the liquid-liquid extraction kinetics of dysprosium between an aqueous and organic phase using an applied external potential. This will demonstrate that both the metal ion and lactate species will be transported across the aqueous/organic phase boundary using an electric driving force. The use of an applied field for the process of mass transfer may provide a different transport process than the classic liquid-liquid extraction approach of vortex stirring. The feasibility of this process will be measured by neutron activation analysis and radiotracer techniques at various temperatures, as well to understand the underlying thermodynamics and kinetics of the systems utilized for measuring distribution ratios.

Investigation of the kinetics of electrochemically modulated separation of dysprosium

251st National Meeting (2016)

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