EXTRACTION OF PLUTONIUM BY CHELATING HYDROXYPYRIDINONE AND CATECHOLAMIDE RESINS∗

ABSTRACT

Four new chelating hydroxypyridinone and catecholamide polystyrene-supported extractants have been prepared and evaluated for their ability to selectively remove ppm levels of plutonium from a variety of acidic aqueous waste compositions. The hydroxypyridinone and catecholamide ligands, modeled after the metal ion binding sites found in siderophores, were derivatized to allow covalent attachment to a polymeric support. The synthesis, loading capacities and chemical stability of the new resins are reported along with the results from extraction studies evaluating their performance for the extraction of Pu(IV) and Pu(VI) from a variety of HNO₃ and NaN0₃ solutions up to 5 M and in competition with Fe(III), Al(III), Zr(IV) and EDTA. The kinetics of metal ion sorption onto the resins are fast, and the extraction results are compared to the commercial Chelex resin.

Notes

Work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management, Office of Science and Technology (EM-50) and performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy at the Glenn T. Seaborg Institute for Transactinium Science at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory under contract numbers W-7405-ENG-48 and DE-AC03-76F00O98, respectively.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Darleane C. Hoffman

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Kenneth N. Raymond

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.