Polymerization and Adduct Formation of Some Lanthanide(III) Decanoates in the Extraction of Lanthanides(III) with Decanoic Acid Using 1-Octanol and Benzene as a Solvent

Abstract

The solvent extraction of lanthanum(III), cerium(III), neodymium(III), samarium(III), gadolinium(III), dysprosium(III), erbium(III) and ytterbium(III) with decanoic acid in 1-octanol and benzene was carried out at 25°C and at an aqueous ionic strength of 0.1 mol dm^-3 (NaNO₃). In extraction systems using 1-octanol as a solvent, all of the lanthanides were found to be extracted as two kinds of monomeric decanoates; in those using benzene, the monomeric, dimeric and tetrameric lanthanide(III) decanoates were proven to be responsible for the extraction, except for gadolinium(III), whose extracted species were the monomeric and dimeric species. The dimerization, tetramerization and adduct formation constants of lanthanide(III) decanoates in the organic phase were estimated. A so-called “gadolinium break” was observed for the polymerization constants of lanthanide(III) decanoates.