Process for separation of zirconium from hafnium
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsSteven H. Peterson, John F. Jackovitz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for the separation of zirconium values from hafnium values wherein a solution of a zirconium chelate complex and a hafnium chelate complex, each having a common ligand, is irradiated with light, of a wavelength between 300 nm and 700 nm, in the presence of a scavenger, such that one of the metal chelate complexes is excited and reacts with the scavenger to form a reaction product that is separated from the solution while the other of the metal chelate complex remains stable and is retained in the solution.
Claims22
A process for the separation of zirconium and hafnium values from a mixture thereof comprising:
- forming a solution of complexes of the hafnium and the zirconium, said complexes having a common organic ligand, one of said complexes being excitable by light within the wavelength range of 400-700 nm, while the other of said complexes is stable within said range;
- irradiating said solution with light, having a wavelength within said range, in the presence of a scavenger, to excite said one complex and cause reaction thereof with the scavenger, and separation thereof from said solution, while the other complex remains in said solution.
A process for the separation of zirconium values from hafnium values from a mixture thereof comprising:
- preparing a solution which contains a zirconium chelate ligand and a hafnium chelate ligand, the ligand being the same in each complex, and a scavenger which will react with one of said chelate ligands but not with the other, upon excitation by irradiation with light having a wavelength in the range between 400 nm and 700 nm;
- irradiating said solution with light having a wavelength within said range, to excite said one chelate ligand, for a period of time sufficient to cause reaction thereof with said scavenger, to produce a reaction product;
- and
- separating said reaction product from the solution which retains said other chelate ligand.
A process for the separation of zirconium and hafnium values from a mixture thereof comprising:
- forming a solution of complexes of the hafnium and the zirconium, said complexes having a common organic ligand, one of said complexes being excitable by light within the wavelength range of 300-700 nm, while the other of said complexes is stable within said range;
- irradiating said solution with light, having a wavelength within said range, in the presence of a scavenger, to excite said one complex and cause reaction thereof with the scavenger, and separation thereof from said solution, while the other complex remains in said solution;
- and the excitable complex is said complex of hafnium and the stable complex is said complex of zirconium.
A process for the separation of zirconium values from hafnium values from a mixture thereof comprising:
- preparing a solution which contains a zirconium chelate ligand and a hafnium chelate ligand, the ligand being the same in each complex, and a scavenger which will react with one of said chelate ligands but not with the other, upon excitation by irradiation with light having a wavelength in the range between 300 nm and 700 nm;
- irradiating said solution with light having a wavelength within said range, to excite said hafnium chelate ligand, for a period of time sufficient to cause reaction thereof with said scavenger, to produce a reaction product;
- and
- separating said reaction product from the solution which retains said zirconium chelate ligand.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.