Actinide(III)/Lanthanide(III) Separation Via Selective Aqueous Complexation of Actinides(III) using a Hydrophilic 2,6-Bis(1,2,4-Triazin-3-Yl)-Pyridine in Nitric Acid |
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Authors: | Andreas Geist Udo Müllich Daniel Magnusson Peter Kaden Giuseppe Modolo Andreas Wilden |
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Affiliation: | 1. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie , Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung , Karlsruhe , Germany andreas.geist@kit.edu;3. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie , Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung , Karlsruhe , Germany;4. Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH , Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung – Nukleare Entsorgung und Reaktorsicherheit – (IEK-6) , Jülich , Germany |
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Abstract: | i-SANEX is a process for separating actinides(III) from used nuclear fuels by solvent extraction: Actinides(III) and lanthanides(III) are co-extracted from a PUREX raffinate followed by selective back extraction of actinides(III) from the loaded organic phase. This step requires a complexing agent selective for actinides(III). A hydrophilic sulfonated bis triazinyl pyridine (SO3-Ph-BTP) was synthesized and tested for selective complexation of actinides(III) in nitric acid solution. When co-extracting Am(III) and Eu(III) from nitric acid into TODGA, adding SO3-Ph-BTP to the aqueous phase suppresses Am(III) extraction while Eu(III) is extracted. Separation factors in the range of 1000 are achieved. SO3-Ph-BTP remains active in nitric acid up to 2 mol/L. As a result of this performance, buffering or salting-out agents are not needed in the aqueous phase; nitric acid is used to keep the lanthanides(III) in the TODGA solvent. These properties make SO3-Ph-BTP a suitable candidate for i-SANEX process development. |
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Keywords: | i-SANEX liquid-liquid extraction aqueous complexation hydrophilic BTP actinides(III) lanthanides(III) separation nitric acid |
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