Abstract
Carrier-mediated transport of uranium(VI) has been studied by means of a liquid membrane supported on a microporous polymer flat-sheet or a tube. Trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) was used as a mobile carrier in order to transport uranium from acidic media. Uranium was extracted in the liquid membrane as UO2(NO3)2• 2TOPO and stripped into the carbonate solutions as UO2(CO3)34- Except for very dilute carriers, the rate of transport seems to be controlled not by the chemical reactions but by the diffusional process in the membrane phase. In the case of the tubing membrane, considerable time lag was observed for the recovery of uranium in the stripping side owing to thick wall of the tubing support.
