J. N. Mathur

Partitioning of actinides from high-level waste streams of purex process using mixtures of CMPO and TBP in dodecane

Abstract The extraction of actinides from high active aqueous raffinate waste (HAW) as well as high-level waste (HLW) solutions arising from Purex processing of thermal reactor fuels has been studied using a mixture of octyl(phenyl)-N N-diisobutylcarbamoyl-methylphosphine oxide (CMPO) and TBP in dodecane. The results on the extraction and stripping of actinides, lanthanides, and other fission products are discussed. Optimum conditions are proposed for the efficient recovery of residual actinides from HAW and HLW streams by CMPO extraction followed by their selective stripping with suitable reagents. Experiments on the extraction and separation of actinides and lanthanides by CMPO in the presence of TBP in dodecane have also been carried out with U(VI) and Nd(III) to arrive at the limiting conditions for avoiding third-phase formation.

Extraction and extraction chromatographic separation of minor actinides from sulphate bearing high level waste solutions using CMPO

Bench-Scale studies on the partitioning and recovery of minoractinides from the actual and synthetic sulphate-bearing high level waste (SBHLW) solutions have been carried out by giving two contacts with 30% TBP to deplete uranium content followed by four contacts with 0.2M CMPO+1.2M TBP in dodecane. The acidity of the SBHLW solutions was about 0.3M. In the case of actual SBHLW, the final raffinate contained about 0.4% α-activity originally present in the HLW, whereas with synthetic SBHLW the α-activity was reduced to the background level.144Ce is extracted almost quantitative in the CMPO phase,106Ru about 12% and137Cs is practically not extracted at all. The extraction chromatographic column studies with synthetic SBHLW (aftertwo TBP contacts) has shown that large volume of waste solutions could be passed through the column without break-through of actinide metal ions. Using 0.04M HNO3>99% Am(III) and rare earths could be eluted/stripped. Similarly >99% Pu(IV) and U(VI) could be eluted.stripped using 0.01M oxalic acid and 0.25M sodium carbonate, respectively. In the presence of 0.16M SO42− (in the SBHLW) the complex ions AmSO4+, UO2SO4, PuSO42+ and Pu(SO4)2 were formed in the aqueous phase but the species extracted into the organic phase (CMPO+TBP) were only the nitrato complexes Am(NO3)3·3CMPO, UO2(NO3)2·2CMPO and Pu(NO3)4·2CMPO. A scheme for the recovery of minor actinides from SBHLW solution with two contacts of 30% TBP followed by either solvent extraction or extraction chromatographic techniques has been proposed.

EXTRACTION CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION OF PROMETHIUM FROM HIGH ACTIVE WASTE SOLUTIONS OF PUREX ORIGIN

ABSTRACT An extraction chromatographic procedure for the separation of 147Pm from High Active Waste solutions of Purex process has been developed. Octy1(pheny1)-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylmethy1phosphine oxide(CMPO) and 2-ethylhexy1-2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid (KSM-17), both sorbed separately on an inert support(chromosorb-102) have been sequentially employed for this purpose. In the CMPO column, the rare earths and the trivalent actinides are sorbed together with uranium, plutonium and traces of few other fission products. The elution of this column with 0.04 M HNO3 gives an eluate containing trivalent actinides and lanthanides. This solution, after adjusting the pH to 2.0, is used as feed for the second extraction chromatographic column based on KSM-17. All the trivalent metal ions are sorbed on the column leaving the trace impurities in the effluent. Fractional elution of the metal ions from this column is carried out with nitric acid of varying concentrations, At 0.09 M HNO3, the pure beta emitting fracti...

Uptake of actinides and lanthanides from nitric acid by dihexyl-N,N-diethylcarbamoylmethylphosphonate adsorbed on chromosorb

Batchwise uptake of Am(III), Pm(III), Eu(III), U(VI) and Pu(IV) by dihexyl-N,N-diethylcarbamoylmethylphosphonate (CMP) adsorbed on chromosorb (CAC) at nitric acid concentrations between 0.01 to 6.0M has been studied. The difference between the uptake behavior of Pu(IV) as compared to other actinides and lanthanides is discussed. The Am(III) and U(VI) species taken up on CAC were found to be Am(NO3)3·3CMP and UO2(NO3)2·2CMP, respectively. The equilibrium constants for the formation of these species have been evaluated and compared with those of similar species formed in liquid-liquid extraction. Batchwise loading of Pm(III) on CAC from 3.0M HNO3 has also been studied.

Synergistic extraction of trivalent Am, Cm, Bk and Cf with HTTA+TBP in xylene

The synergistic extraction of trivalent actinides Am, Cm, Bk and Cf with thenoyltrifluoro acetone (HTTA) and tributyl phosphate (TBP) has been studied in xylene at 30°C. Correction for the HTTA-TBP interaction has been applied to get the free TBP concentration in the organic phase. Plots of log D vs. log [HTTA] give straight lines with a slope of 3 only after correcting for the HTTA-TBP interaction; without this correction the slope varies from 3 to 1 with increasing HTTA concentrations. The presence of two synergistic species M(TTA)3·TBP and M(TTA)3·2TBP simultaneously has been observed. The equilibrium constants for the organic phase synergistic reactions have been calculated.

Tail-end purification of americium from plutonium loading effluents using a mixture of octyl (phenyl)-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylmethylphosphine oxide and tri-N-butyl phosphate

The tail-end purification of Am from Pu loading effluents in 7.5M HNO3 containing ∼160 mg l−1 Am and ∼1.2 mg l−1 Pu has been carried out. With 0.2M CMPO+1.2M TBP in dodecane as the extractant and stripping by 0.04M HNO3+0.05M NaNO2, the Pu level is brought down to ∼31.2 μg l−1. When the acidity was reduced to 4.2M HNO3, one contact with 20% TLA/dodecane and subsequent extraction by a mixture of CMPO and TBP and stripping with 0.04M HNO3+0.05M NaNO2 gave Am samples without any detectable amounts of Pu. The recovery of Am was ∼90% by the first procedure and ∼98% by the second one.

Extraction of Am(III) by mixture of dihexyl N,N-diethylcarbamoylmethyl phosphonate and tributyl phosphate in benzene from nitric acid solutions

Extraction of Am(III) by dihexyl N,N-diethylcarbamoylmethyl phosphonate (CMP) in benzene from nitric acid solutions (pH 2.0 to 6.0M) has been studied. High extraction of Am(III) by CMP from 2–3M HNO3 was observed. The species extracted was found to be Am(NO3)3·3CMP. The extraction was also done with mixtures of CMP+TBP and CMP+TOPO, where mixed species were extracted in the organic phase. The back-extraction experiments gave an efficient back-extraction of Am(III) by pH 2.0 (HNO3) from the loaded CMP+TBP phase but a poor back-extraction from the loaded CMP+TOPO phase. The loading of Nd(III) by mixture of CMP and TBP was ∼50% of the CMP concentrations at a total Nd(III) concentration of 0.182M. The thermodynamic parameters of Am(III) extraction by a mixture of CMP and TBP were evaluated by temperature variation method, which suggests that the two-phase reaction is stabilized by enthalpy and opposed by entropy.

LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION OF TRIVALENT ACTINIDES AND LANTHANIDES WITH MIXTURES OF N-BENZOYL-N-PHENYL HYDROXYLAMINE AND NEUTRAL DONORS

Extraction of trivalent actinides Am and Cm and trivalent lanthanides Pm and Eu has been studied with mixtures of N-benzoyl-N-phenyl hydroxylamine (HBPHA) and TBP, TOPO or dipy in chloroform. The order of synergistic extraction was found to be TBP>TOPO>dipy, which is just the reverse to the order of basicity of these neutral donors. The interaction of HBPHA with TBP has been studied in chloroform. The synergistic species extracted was found to be M(BPHA)3·n TBP (n=1 or 2). Log D vs pH plots (at fixed HBPHA and TBP concentrations) gave straight lines with slopes 1.4 (Am, Cm, Pm) and 1.7 (Eu) instead of the expected value of 3.0. Reasons for these abnormalities are discussed.

Extraction of Pm(III) from acidic solutions using dihexyl N,N-diethylcarbamoylmethyl phosphonate

Benzene solution of dihexyl N,N-diethyl-carbamoylmethyl phosphonate (CMP) has been used for the extraction of Pm(III) from 0.2 to 6.0M HNO3. High extraction of Pm(III) was observed between 2 to 4M HNO3. The species extracted in the organic phase were Pm(NO3)3.3CMP and Pm (NO3)3 (3-n) CMP.nTBP when the extractants were CMP and CMP+TBP, respectively. Pm could be efficiently backextracted from both organic phases by pH 2.0 HNO3 solution.

Mixed-ligand chelate extraction of trivalent lanthanides and actinides with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-pyrazolone-5 and dihexyl-N,N-diethylcarbamoylmethyl phosphonate

Mixed-ligand chelate extraction of trivalent lanthanides such as La, Eu and Lu and a trivalent actinide, Am into xylene with mixtures of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-pyrazolone-5 (HPMBP) and dihexyl-N,N-diethylcarbamoylmethylphosphonate (CMP) has been studied by tracertechniques. These trivalent metal ions are found to be extracted from 0.01 mol/dm3 chloroacetate buffer solutions as M(PMBP)3·HPMBP type self adducts with HPMBP alone and in the presence of CMP as M(PMBP)3·CMP (where M=La, Eu, Lu and Am) into the organic phase. The equilibrium constants of the above species are deduced by non-linear regression analysis. The synergistic constants of trivalent lanthanides do not increase monotonically with atomic number but have a maximum at Eu and that of Am was found to lie between that of La and Eu.