Behaviors of actinides in chromatographic separation by using TBP resin in nitric acid solution and hydrochloric acid solution

ABSTRACT

We are developing a simple actinide separation method for a pre-treatment process of actinide analysis by mass spectrometry such as thermal ionization mass spectrometry or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The actinide separation was conducted by using Tributyl phosphate (TBP) impregnated resin commercially supplied by Triskem International. TBP is commonly used in the PUREX system as a solvent for the recovery and recycling of uranium and plutonium from spent nuclear fuels through liquid–liquid separation in the HNO₃ system. In this study, TBP-impregnated resin is employed as a solid extractant for the mutual separation of uranium, plutonium, thorium, and trivalent actinides through solid–liquid separation by combination with nitric acid (HNO₃) and hydrochloride acid (HCl), with divalent iron ion as a reductant for valence control of plutonium. We confirmed that uranium was extracted with a recovery rate of more than 96%.

KEYWORDS:

• Uranium
• plutonium
• thorium
• trivalent actinides
• extraction chromatography

Acknowledgments

This work is financially supported by the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project (through concentrating wisdom) from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency/Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency .