Gunnar Skarnemark

An overview and historical look back at the solvent extraction using nitrogen donor ligands to extract and separate An(III) from Ln(III)

The partitioning of minor trivalent actinides (An) from lanthanides (Ln) is one of the challenges in the chemical treatment of nuclear waste. The optimal ligand to carry out the separation of An(III) and Ln(III) using solvent extraction has to meet several important criteria: high selectivity towards the solute, chemical and radiolytic stability, stripping possibilities and recycling of the organic phase, high separation factors and good distribution ratio, to name just a few of them. A chronological line can be drawn along the development of each extraction ligand family and some milestones are emphasized in this overview. Further developments in organic synthesis of extracting ligands are expected.

Removal of hazardous metals from MSW fly ash-An evaluation of ash leaching methods

Incineration is a commonly applied management method for municipal solid waste (MSW). However, significant amounts of potentially hazardous metal species are present in the resulting ash, and these may be leached into the environment. A common idea for cleaning the ash is to use enhanced leaching with strong mineral acids. However, due to the alkalinity of the ash, large amounts of acid are needed and this is a drawback. Therefore, this work was undertaken in order to investigate some alternative leaching media (EDTA, ammonium nitrate, ammonium chloride and a number of organic acids) and to compare them with the usual mineral acids and water. All leaching methods gave a significant increase in ash specific surface area due to removal of soluble bulk (matrix) compounds, such as CaCO(3) and alkali metal chlorides. The use of mineral acids and EDTA mobilised many elements, especially Cu, Zn and Pb, whereas the organic acids generally were not very effective as leaching agents for metals. Leaching using NH(4)NO(3) was especially effective for the release of Cu. The results show that washing of MSW filter ash with alternative leaching agents is a possible way to remove hazardous metals from MSW fly ash.

A TBP/BTBP-based GANEX Separation Process. Part 1: Feasibility

Abstract A GANEX (Group ActiNide EXtraction) separation system for transmutation has been developed. In this separation process the actinides should be extracted as a group from the lanthanides and the fission and corrosion/activation products. This can be achieved by combining BTBP (bis-triazine-bipyridine) with TBP (tri-butyl phosphate) in cyclohexanone. From 4M nitric acid this organic system extracts the actinides (log(DAm) = 2.19, log(DPu) = 2.31, log(DU) = 1.03, log(DNp) = 0.53) and also separates them from the lanthanides (log(DLa) = −2.0, log(DCe) = −1.72, log(DNd) = −1.05, log(DSm) = −0.18, log(DEu) = −0.02). One problem encountered is that some of the fission and corrosion products are also extracted. The new system however still looks feasible.

Extraction properties of 6,6'-bis-(5,6-dipentyl-[1,2,4]triazin-3-yl)-[2,2']bipyridinyl (C5-BTBP)

Abstract The extraction of americium(III) and europium(III) into a variety of organic diluents by 6,6′‐bis‐(5,6,‐dipentyl‐[1,2,4]triazin‐3‐yl)‐[2,2′]bipyridinyl (C5‐BTBP) has been investigated. In addition to determining the stoichiometry for the extraction, the dependence of extraction on contact time and temperature was also studied. The resistance of the ligand to gamma irradiation and the possibility to recycle the organic phase after stripping were tested to determine how the molecule would perform in a radiochemical process. Different organic diluents gave different extraction results, ranging from no extraction to distribution ratios of over 1000 for americium(III). In 1,1,2,2‐tetrachloroethane, the extraction and separation of americium from europium and the extraction kinetics were good; a separation factor above 60 was obtained at equilibrium, ∼5 min contact time. The extraction capabilities are adequate for C5‐BTBP to be used in a process for separating trivalent actinides from lanthanides. However, C5‐BTBP is susceptible to radiolysis (americium extraction decreases ∼80% after a dose of 17 kGy) and may not be the best choice in the processing of spent nuclear fuel. Nonetheless it is a useful starting point for further development of this type of molecule. It could also prove useful for analytical scale separations for which radiolytic instability is less important.

Low-energy electron emitters for targeted radiotherapy of small tumours.

The possibility of using electron emitters to cure a cancer with metastatic spread depends on the energy of the emitted electrons. Electrons with high energy will give a high, absorbed dose to large tumours, but the absorbed dose to small tumours or single tumour cells will be low, because the range of the electrons is too long. The fraction of energy absorbed within the tumour decreases with increasing electron energy and decreasing tumour size. For tumours smaller than 1 g, the tumour-to-normal-tissue mean absorbed dose-rate ratio, TND, will be low, e.g. for 131I and 90The possibility of using electron emitters to cure a cancer with metastatic spread depends on the energy of the emitted electrons. Electrons with high energy will give a high, absorbed dose to large tumours, but the absorbed dose to small tumours or single tumour cells will be low, because the range of the electrons is too long. The fraction of energy absorbed within the tumour decreases with increasing electron energy and decreasing tumour size. For tumours smaller than 1 g, the tumour-to-normal-tissue mean absorbed dose-rate ratio, TND, will be low, e.g. for 131I and 90Y, because of the high energy of the emitted electrons. For radiotherapy of small tumours, radionuclides emitting charged particles with short ranges (a few microm) are required. A mathematical model was constructed to evaluate the relation between TND and electron energy, photon-to-electron energy ratio, p/e, and tumour size. Criteria for the selection of suitable radionuclides for the treatment of small tumours were defined based on the results of the TND model. In addition, the possibility of producing such radionuclides and their physical and chemical properties were evaluated. Based on the mathematical model, the energy of the emitted electrons should be < or = 40 keV for small tumours (< 1000 cells), and the photon-to-electron energy ratio, p/e, should be < or = 2 to achieve a high TND. Using the selection criteria defined, five low-energy electron emitters were found to be suitable: 58Co, 103mRh, 119Sb, 161Ho, and 189mOs. All of these nuclides decay by internal transition or electron capture, which yields conversion and Auger electrons, and it should be possible to produce most of them in therapeutic amounts. The five low-energy electron-emitting radionuclides identified may be relevant in the radiation treatment of small tumours, especially if bound to internalizing radiopharmaceuticals.

Separation of Actinides(III) from Lanthanides(III) in Simulated Nuclear Waste Streams using 6,6′‐Bis‐(5,6‐dipentyl‐[1,2,4]triazin‐3‐yl)‐[2,2′]bipyridinyl (C5‐BTBP) in Cyclohexanone

Abstract An extraction system comprising 6,6′‐bis‐(5,6‐dipentyl‐[1,2,4]triazin‐3‐yl)‐[2,2′]bipyridinyl (C5‐BTBP) dissolved in cyclohexanone was investigated. The main purpose of this investigation was to extract and separate actinides(III) from lanthanides(III), both of which are present in the waste from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. The system studied showed high distribution ratios for the actinides(III) and a high separation factor between actinides and lanthanides (SFAm/Eu around 150). The extraction kinetics were fast with equilibrium being reached in 5 minutes. The effects of temperature on the extraction and the stoichiometry of the extracted complex were investigated. The extraction of californium(III) was studied and it was found that the BTBP molecule has a higher affinity for californium than for americium (SFCf/Am around 4). This system could be used to separate actinides(III) from lanthanide fission products with high efficiency, if used in conjunction with a pre‐equilibrium step.

Extraction of actinides with different 6,60-bis(5,6-dialkyl-[1,2,4]-triazin-3-yl)[2,20]-bipyridines (BTBPs)

Abstract The extraction of Am(III), Th(IV), Np(V), and U(VI) from nitric acid by 6,6′‐bis(5,6‐dialkyl‐[1,2,4]‐triazin‐3‐yl)‐[2,2′]‐bipyridines (C2‐, C4‐, C5‐, and CyMe4‐BTBP) was studied. Since only americium and neptunium extraction was dependent on the BTBP concentration, computational chemistry was used to explain this behavior. It has been shown that the coordination of the metal played an important role in forming an extractable complex into the organic phase, thus making it possible to extract pentavalent and trivalent elements from tetravalent and hexavalent elements. This is very important, especially because it shows other possible utilizations of a group of molecules meant to separate the actinides from the lanthanides. In addition, the level of extraction at very low or no BTBP concentration was explained by coordination chemistry.

The stability of some metal EDTA, DTPA and DOTA complexes: Application as tracers in groundwater studies

Studies of the stability of various metal EDTA, DTPA and DOTA complexes in order to evaluate their applicability as non-sorbing tracers have been performed. In laboratory tests, the stability generally increases for the individual metal ions in the EDTA<DTPA<DOTA order. For most metal ions, the same trend can be observed for the thermodynamic stability constants. In the in situ experiment, various metal EDTA tracers were used in very low concentrations; YbEDTA−, for example had a breakthrough and recovery which were very similar to the non-sorbing tracers used. According to the extremely low tracers concentrations used, thermodynamic data indicate that all metal EDTA tracers should have been decomplexed as a result of the competition with the naturally occurring cations in the groundwater. This was not found, which indicates that the decomplexation rate and sorption mechanism are important in estimating the applicability of the metal complexes as tracers. The DOTA complexes of elements in the middle of the lanthanide series have indicated high stability in the laboratory tests and therefore appear to be good candidates as non-sorbing tracers. However, in contrary to the metal EDTA, tracers, the DOTA complexes of La3+ and Lu3+ seemed to be slightly delayed in the in situ experiment.

Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Investigation of BTBP - Lanthanide(III) and Actinide(III) Complexes

In the framework of nuclear waste reprocessing, the separation processes of minor actinides from fission products are developed using liquid‐liquid extraction. To gain an understanding of the mechanism involved in the extraction process, a complex formation of actinides and lanthanides with BTBPs (6,6′‐bis(5,6‐dialkyl‐1,2,4‐triazin‐3‐yl)‐2,2′‐bipyridines) was characterized using the Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (ESI‐MS) technique. This study was carried out to compare the influence of diluents and side groups of the extractants on complex formation. Three different diluents, nitrobenzene, octanol and cyclohexanone, and two extractants, C5‐BTBP and CyMe4‐BTBP, were selected for this experiment. It was found that the change of the diluent and of the substituent on the BTBP moiety does not modify the stoichiometry of the complexes which is L2M(NO3)3. It is proposed that one nitrate is directly coordinated to the metal ion, the two other anions probably remaining in the outer coordination sphere. The difference observed in extracting properties is probably due to the solvation of the complexes by the diluent. The noncovalent force that holds complexes together are likely to be largely governed by electrostatic interactions even if the hydrophobic exterior of the complexes plays an important role in the complexation/extraction mechanism. The study of the stability of the ions in the gas phase shows that the C5‐BTBP ligand has a labile hydrogen atom, which is a fragility point of C5‐BTBP.

SISAK—A new technique for rapid, continuous (radio)chemical separations

SISAK, a new continuous technique for on-line chemical separation of short-lived species, is presented. The system features multistage two-phase liquid-liquid and liquid-solid separations completed within 3–5 sec per stage. The system is easily adaptable for selective isolation of almost all elements. The operational characteristics of the system are outlined and the delay properties briefly discussed. A two-detector delay method for half-life determinations is also presented. The application of the technique to the study of short-lived nuclides is exemplified by results from investigations of 30 sec 68gCu, 3·8 min 68mCu and 42 sec 70Cu.