
Extraction of trace thorium from hydrochloric acid media by 1-phenyl-3-methyl–4–benzoyl-5–pyrazolone
The paper describes the solvent extraction of trace thorium from hydrochloric acid media by 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-5-pyrazolone (PMBP) using a radioactive tracer technique. The percent extraction of thorium was studied as a function of acidity, PMBP concentration and equilibrium time. The back-extraction behavior of thorium from the organic phase was also tested. Separation of thorium was performed from fission products produced in 14 MeV neutron bombardment of natural uranium by employing the PMBP extraction procedure. The gamma-ray spectra of the separated thorium fractions show that thorium can be separated from most of fission products and a large amount of uranium.