Separation of U and Pu by countercurrent chromatography with support-free liquid stationary phase in the TBP white spirit nitric acid system

The article deals with the use of countercurrent chromatography (CCC), support-free partition chromatography, for separation of U and Pu from the organic extract obtained directly by the dissolution of MOX fuel in supercritical CO₂ containing the complex TBP · nHNO₃. White spirit solutions with various TBP concentrations were used as a stationary phase. The effects of the compositions of the stationary and mobile phases on the U/Pu partition efficiency are studied. The CCC method allows the separation of U and Pu under conditions of a TBP concentration gradient in the stationary phase and also of an HNO₃ concentration gradient in the mobile phase. Chromatographic separation first gives the Pu fraction containing 98.9% of Pu and 0.07% of U, and then the U fraction (99.93% of U and 1.1% of Pu). The separation time is 50 min.