| Target material |
Natural and enriched zirconium oxide |
| Product purity |
>95 to 97% |
| Major impurities |
89g/mNb, 91mNb, 92mNb, 95g/mNb, 96Nb, 87Y, 89Zr |
| Separation method |
1 |
Serial ion exchange chromatography (DOWEX 50 × 8 resin (cation), AG 1 × 8 resin (anion)) |
| - Target dissolution: 28 M HF |
| - (Cation exchange) 1st Nb elution: concentrated HF |
| - (Anion exchange) 2nd Nb elution: 1% H2O2 in 6 M HCl |
| Product separation yield |
93 to 95% |
| Separation method |
2 |
Liquid–liquid extraction |
| - Target dissolution: 48% HF |
| - Extraction solvents: 10 M HCl + saturated boric acid, 0.02 M N-benzoyl-N-phenylhydroxylamine in CHCl3, aqua regia |
| Product separation yield |
76 to 81% |
| Target recovery yield |
n/a |
