Studies on the extraction of uranium by N-octanoyl-N-phenylhydroxamic acid

Abstract

Summary N-octanoyl-N-phenylhydroxamic acid (OHA) has been prepared by partial reduction of nitrobenzene with Zn dust/NH4Cl, followed by acylation with n-octanoyl chloride. Structure of OHA was confirmed by 1H NMR, IR spectra and CHNS microanalysis. The extraction of uranium by OHA has been studied as a function of pH, temperature and concentration of OHA. The extraction of uranium was found to increase with increase in pH. Uranium forms a 1:2 complex with OHA. IR Spectra & NMR Spectra of the uranium-OHA complex and slope analysis obtained from extraction studies indicated that the extraction of uranium was due to the formation of a chelate. The enthalpy change accompanied by the extraction of uranium by OHA has been obtained by temperature variation method. The extraction process was found to be endothermic at pH 2 and exothermic at pH 6.