Distribution of selected lanthanides and actinides between 30% TBP in n- paraffin and various metal nitrate solutions
- 1 November 1973
- report
- Published by Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI)
Abstract
Distributions were measured for nitric acid, americium, curium, cerium, neodymium, samarium, europium, manganese, and mercury between 30 vol % THP in n- paraffin and aqueous solutions containing nitric acid, aluminum nitrate, lithium nitrate, and/or sodium nitrate. Equations for the distributions were derived from the data and used in designing solvent extraction flowsheets for recovery and decortamination of americium and curium from irradiated plutonium- aluminum alloy. Also investigated was the effect of DTPA acid on the distribution of the actinides and lanthanides in the same systems. The actinides (Am and Cm) are more strongly complexed than the light lanthanides (La, Ce, Pr, and Nd) by DTPA acid. By controlling the solution pH in the range of 1 to 3, separation of actinides from lanthanides by factors of 10 to 100 may be obtained by extraction with 30% THP. (auth)Keywords
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