Determining Stability Constants Using the AKUFVE Technique

The AKUFVE techniques were developed by Rydberg and co-workers in the 1960s. The main aim was to be able to perform a series of liquid-liquid extraction data varying one or more parameters and at the same time achieve very pure phases. As such, this technique was later used for short-lived isotope studies in the SISAK system, but also as a standalone unit for a large number of thermodynamic studies of extraction systems both for fundamental understanding as well as more applied investigations. In this paper, the apparatus with modifications made over the decades is described. In addition, studies with stability constant determinations for the zirconium-water-acetylacetone system as well as lanthanide extraction using bromodecanoic acid are exemplified to demonstrate the potential use of the technique. The results shown clearly demonstrate the versatility and ability of the AKUFVE system.