EXTRACTION CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION OF PROMETHIUM FROM HIGH ACTIVE WASTE SOLUTIONS OF PUREX ORIGIN

ABSTRACT

An extraction chromatographic procedure for the separation of ¹⁴⁷Pm from High Active Waste solutions of Purex process has been developed. Octy1(pheny1)-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylmethy1phosphine oxide(CMPO) and 2-ethylhexy1-2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid (KSM-17), both sorbed separately on an inert support(chromosorb-102) have been sequentially employed for this purpose. In the CMPO column, the rare earths and the trivalent actinides are sorbed together with uranium, plutonium and traces of few other fission products. The elution of this column with 0.04 M HNO₃ gives an eluate containing trivalent actinides and lanthanides. This solution, after adjusting the pH to 2.0, is used as feed for the second extraction chromatographic column based on KSM-17. All the trivalent metal ions are sorbed on the column leaving the trace impurities in the effluent. Fractional elution of the metal ions from this column is carried out with nitric acid of varying concentrations, At 0.09 M HNO₃, the pure beta emitting fraction of ¹⁴⁷Pm has been obtained.

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J.N. Mathur

Radiochemistry Division