VARIATIONS IN THE SOLVENT EXTRACTION BEHAVIOR OF BIFONCTIONAL PHOSPHORUS-BASED COMPOUNDS MODIFIED WITH TBP

ABSTRACT

The solvent extraction of americium from nitric acid by several modified bifunctional extractants in CCl₄has been investigated. For all the compounds examined, addition of a modifier such as tributylphosphate (TBP) enhances distribution ratios at high aqueous acidities. The effect of the modifier at lower acidities varies depending on the basicity of the bifunctional extractant. While the most basic extractants show significantly reduced distribution ratios from lower acid solutions upon TBP addition, for the less basic compounds only slight reductions or, in some cases, even moderate increases in extraction are observed. Studies of the effect of modifier basicity on extraction behavior have also been carried out. The changes in distribution ratios with modifiers fall within the range of variations observed for diluent effects with extractants of this type. Increases in high acid distribution ratios upon TBP addition to an extractant as simple as trioctylphosphine oxide indicate that this modification of extraction behavior may be of general use for a wide range of neutral extractants