Selective Separation of Scandium(III) and Yttrium(III) from other Rare Earth Elements using Cyanex302 as an Extractant

Liquid‐liquid extraction and selective separation of scandium(III) and yttrium(III) with Cyanex302 (bis(2,4,4‐trimethylpentyl)monothiophosphinic acid) has been carried out by controlling the aqueous phase pH. Scandium(III) and yttrium(III) were completely recovered from the organic phase using 5.0 M and 4.0 M nitric acid respectively and determined spectrophotometrically as their complexes with Arsenazo(III). The influence of extractant concentration, equilibration time, nature of diluents, stripping agents, and diverse ions on the extraction of scandium(III) and yttrium(III) was investigated. The extractability of scandium(III), yttrium(III), and other rare earth elements was exploited for sequential separation of scandium(III)‐yttrium(III)‐lanthanum(III) and other rare earth elements viz. lanthanum(III), cerium(IV), praseodymium(III), neodymium(III), gadolinium(III), dysprosium(III), and ytterbium(III) in binary mixtures. The method presented is simple and rapid for isolation of scandium(III) and yttrium(III) from associated elements and has been successfully applied for their selective separation from complex matrices of USGS standard soil GXR‐2 and Japanese standard stream sediment sample Jsd‐3.