Process Engineering and Environment

MICROWAVES IRRADIATIONS TECHNIQUE FOR SYNTHESIS OF ORGANOPHOSPHORUS AND AMINES EXTRACTANTS - PROCESS ENVIRONMENT TO LIQUID - LIQUID EXTRACTION. M. A. DIDI*, A. ELIAS** & D. VILLEMIN** * Catalysis Laboratory, Chemistry Department, Tlemcen University, B. P. 119, Algeria ** Division of exploitation and valorization of ores, CRND, Draria, Algiers, Algeria LCMT, UMR CNRS 6507, Caen University, ISMRA, ISMRA, F-14050 Caen, France

Some monoalkyl- and dialkylphosphates, having long aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarboned chains, were synthesized via alcohol reactions with phosphorus pentoxide. Irradiation of the reaction mixtures by microwaves allows activation of these reactions; the reaction times are then reduced with ratios laying from 100 to 4000. The alkylphosphates yields are then better than those obtained when using classical heating way. Microwaves irradiation activation of Michaelis-Arbuzov reaction between tributylphosphite with bromobutane or dibromobutane, yields requiring few minutes dibutybutylphosphonate and tetrabutyl butylenediphosphonate. The yields obtained are of the same order than those obtained after several hours in classical routes. The amines of the mixture monooctylamine (MOA), dioctylamine (DOA) and trioctylamine (TOA) were completely separated by simple liquid-liquid extraction. The separation was possible thanks to the selective transfer of MOA in sodium aqueous solution and of TOA in a polar organic solvent (hexane). Extraction tests revealed an important extraction power towards iron (III) of the hydroxialkylenediphosphonic acids. The tests showed some aspects of the complexes nature obtained by ion exchange mechanism occurring when extracting agents-iron (III) are involved.