Liquid/Liquid-Mass Transfer at Swarms of Droplets: Kinetics of Mass Transfer in the System Uranylnitrate, Nitric Acid, Tributylphosphate

Abstract Mass transfer of uranium and nitric acid between a water phase and a kerosine phase, loaded with 30 vol % tributylphosphate (T) was measured in an apparatus designed to produce swarms of droplets of equal size. The aim of this investigation was to produce a suitable kinetic model and to derive the values of the individual transport coefficients. It is shown that the reactions are interfacial and controlled by transport processes. The model of the system is supported by the agreement between calculation and experiment and by the values of the individual transport coefficients obtained. Deviations between the model and experiment at high uranium concentrations are caused by interfacial instabilities.