Removal of Fission Products and Their Complexing Agents from Degraded Solvent by Ion Exchange Method

Removal of fission products and their complexing agents from chemically degraded TBP/kerosene and particularly from the kerosene diluent, was studied. With the use of column technique with mixed anion and cation exchange resins, more than 80% of the fission products and their complexing agents were removed. The carboxylic acids, which constitute one of the degradation products bringing about decrease of uranium extractability, were completely removed together with the complexing agents thereof by anion exchange resin. Removal was also obtained of monobutyl and dibutyl phosphoric acids (H₂MBP and HDBP), which can retain fission products and which in actual practice are liable to be formed by hydrolysis of TBP under intensive irradiation with concentrated nitric acid and/or at the elevated temperatures.