Tributyl phosphate-nitrate solvent extraction process for producing high purity nuclear grade rare earth metal oxides

A TBP (tri-butyl phosphate)-nitrate based solvent extraction process for the production of high purity nuclear grade rare metal oxides comprising:

• subjecting ammonium nitrate-ammonium sulphate effluent generated in a TBP (tri-butyl phosphate)-nitrate based solvent extraction process for the production of high purity nuclear grade rare metal oxides to recycling as a stripping solution so as to strip metal nitrate values from a solvent stream organic phase into an aqueous phase comprising (i) common ion electrolytes based ammonium nitrate-ammonium sulphate effluent to strip hydrolysable rare metal species and (ii) sulphate anion in said ammonium nitrate-ammonium sulphate effluent with complexing ability towards rare metal ions favouring stripping of the rare metal ions from the organic phase into the aqueous phase by equilibration of rare metal solvent extract comprising rare metal nitrate TBP adduct with an aqueous solution containing ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulphate thereby enabling contact of said rare metal nitrate TBP adduct in the organic phase with (NH4)2SO4 in the aqueous phase, and
• forming aqueous soluble complex salts of respective rare metal ions in the aqueous phase to favor stripping of the rare metal ion from the organic phase into the aqueous phase for recovery of high purity nuclear grade rare metal oxides from said aqueous phase.