Separation of trivalent americium and europium by purified Cyanex 301 immobilized in macro porous polymer

The present work confirms the high separation ability of purified Cyanex 301 towards trivalent americium over europium in liquid-liquid extraction. Solvent 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE) lowered the partitioning of Am³⁺ but remained the separation ability over europium. Solvent toluene and 3-octanone lowered the separation factor to 1000. It is feasible to separate Am³⁺ from Eu³⁺ by Cyanex 301 which was immobilized in the macro porous polymer (MPP). 3-Octanone is a suitable solvent for dissolving NH₄OH-saponified Cyanex 301 and MPP is a suitable solid supported material for column operation. A five-step column experiment demonstrated the feasibility to separate Am³⁺ from Eu³⁺ in column which was packed with Cyanex 301-impregnated MPP.     

Separation of Am from lanthanides by a synergistic mixture of purified Cyanex 301 and TBP

The dependence of the distribution ratios of ²⁴¹Am and lanthanides between purified Cyanex 301 (HBTMPDTP)–TBP–kerosene/nitrate solution on pH, lanthanide concentration in aqueous phase and degree of saponification of HBTMPDTP was investigated. The distribution ratios of ²⁴¹Am and lanthanides increase with pH and degree of saponification of HBTMPDTP and decrease with lanthanides concentration. Countercurrent multistage extraction consisting of 7 extraction, 3 washing and 2 stripping stages showed that more than 99.99% of ²⁴¹Am and less than 0.04% of lanthanides were extracted. The pH_1/2 value of Am was 2.45 compared to 3.16 in case of HBTMPDTP–kerosene extraction.     

Separation of Americium from Lanthanides by Purified Cyanex 301 Countercurrent Extraction in Miniature Centrifugal Contactors

In order to further test the actinides/lanthanides separation performance by Cyanex 301 extraction, a countercurrent extraction experiment was carried out in the present work. The separation process consisted of 7-stage extraction, 3-stage scrubbing and 4-stage stripping. 14 miniature centrifugal contactors were installed in glove box for the experiment. The feed solution from TRPO process, mainly consisting of 4.4 M HNO3, ∼3.7×10⁸Bq Am-241, 0.02 M lanthanides, ∼120 ppm Mo and 100 ppm Fe, was pretreated by the following procedures: denitrating to 0.2 M HNO3 by formic acid, adjusting pH to 2 by 8 M NaOH, removing most Fe³⁺ by 0.2 M Cyanex 301-kerosene cross-flow extraction, and then adjusting pH to 3.5 by 1 M NaOH. About 5.6×10⁸Bq Pm-147 was added into the feed solution to trace lanthanides during the experiment. The experiment lasted for 9 hours with a feed flow rate of 30 ml/h. The results show that 99.95% Am was separated from lanthanides and only 0.1% lanthanides were extracted together with Am. 99.3% Am and 96.6% Pm were stripped from load Cyanex 301 by 1.0 M HNO3, respectively.     

GC-MS检测Cyanex272萃取剂的研究

在钴镍萃取分离上,Cytec公司的Cyanex272表现优良,并在我国展开了工业应用[1].Cyanex 272是Cytec公司的产品,其87%的主成份为二(2,4,4-三甲基戊基)膦酸[2],分子式为C16H35PO2,分子量为290.这是起萃取作用的主要成份.Cyanex272中还有12%的另一固定组份为三(2,4,4-三甲基戊基)氧化膦,分子式为C24H51PO,分子量为386,无色液体,在水中溶解度为10 mg/L.     

Cyanex301的纯化及其特性

研究了用Ｃｙａｎｅｘ３０１［ＴＭ］铵盐在苯中重结晶以纯化Ｃｙａｎｅｘ３０１的方法，该法收率６２．４％，产品纯度＞９９％。测定了经纯化后产品的红外光谱，研究了纯化产品在－水正庚烷体系中的分配平衡及其在正庚烷中的缔合，浓度在０．２～１．０ｍｏ１／Ｌ范围，Ｃｙａｎｅｘ３０１主要以二聚形式存在。     

Palladium extraction by a cyanex 301-based binary extractant from chloride solutions

We studied the extraction of chloropalladium complexes by solutions of trioctylmethylammonium di(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)dithiophosphinate in toluene over a wide range of aqueous acidities. Distribution factors and spectroscopic studies of extraction products showed that (R₄N)[Pd₂Cl₄A] complexes are formed in the organic phase during extraction under near-saturation conditions. As the concentration of the binary extractant or dialkyldithiophosphinic acid increases, palladium di(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)dithiophosphinate is formed in the organic phase.     

Photodegradation and by-products identification of commercial extractant Cyanex 302

The photodegradation of the organothiophosphorous extractant Cyanex 302 and purified bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)monothiophosphinic acid dissolved in toluene was carried out in photoreactor using UV–Vis light irradiation. Possible degradation products were identified with the assistance of FT-IR, LC/MS/MS and GC/MS. The catalytic influence of zinc(II), copper(II) and cobalt(II) ions and the presence of trace values of water and aqueous solutions of sulphuric acids on the photodecomposition of Cyanex 302 were studied. The results demonstrated that the presence of trace amounts of water causes mainly the degradation of bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)monothiophosphinic acid with the simultaneously fourfold increase in bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid concentration. The shaking with aqueous solution of sulphuric acids results in the decrease in the photodegradation probably by blocking of OH radical. Metal ions also affect the degradation causing the increase in bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid concentration. The photodegradation was also carried out in open atmosphere under sunlight and the obtained results were compared with those obtained in a Heraeus photoreactor.     

Extraction of Polonium from Aqueous Lactic Acid Solutions Using Dioctyl Sulphide, Cyanex 272, Cyanex 301 or Cyanex 302 in Toluene

The extraction of polonium from lactic acid (HLac) solutions has been studied with di-n-octyl sulphide (DOS), Cyanex 272, Cyanex 301 and Cyanex 302 extractants dissolved in toluene. For the extraction with DOS, the extracted species is most likely PoO(Lac)₂·3DOS. The results for Cyanex 272 also indicate extraction via a solvation mechanism rather than cation exchange. The extracted species is probably PoO(Lac)₂·2HA. The major species extracted with Cyanex 301 or Cyanex 302 do not contain any lactate molecules. The extracted species is most likely PoOA₂ at low extractant concentrations, while at higher concentrations an adduct complex of the type PoOA₂·2HA is formed. The extraction of polonium increases in the order Cyanex 272 < Cyanex 302 < DOS < Cyanex 301, which is the same order as the increase of the number of sulphur atoms in the reagents.     

Kinetics of americium and europium extraction by tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene from alkaline media

Kinetics of ¹⁵²Eu and ²⁴¹Am extraction by nitrogen-bearing alkyl amino phenol oligomer YaRB and tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene TCA from carbonate-alkaline media was studied. Both extractants efficiently extract americium and europium in pH interval 12–14. The maximum of americium extraction is located at the lower values of pH, compared with europium. YaRB extracts americium and europium faster than TCA, and at the same time, americium is extracted faster than europium by both extractants. In general, thiacalixarene TCA is regarded as more efficient extractant than alkyl amino phenol oligomer YaRB.

     

Extraction of europium and americium by a mixture of CMPO and dicarbollide

The extraction of Eu³⁺ and Am³⁺ by a mixture of CMPO and dicarbollide in nitrobenzene has been studied. The synergetic effect of dicarbollide is pronounced at low acidities but still lower than for previously studied DBDECMP. Separation properties towards Am/Eu pair are small.     

Effect of gamma-radiation on the extraction of europium and americium by benzyldibutylamine

The effect of gamma irradiation on benzene solutions of benzyldibutylamine with cetyl alcohol used for the extraction of europium and americium from nitrate solutions was investigated. The dependence of the distribution coefficient on the dose absorbed either by the whole system or some efficient component was measured. Nitric acid present during irradiation significantly lowers the radiation stability, while benzyldibutylamine and cetyl alcohol appear to be radiostable components. Up to tens of kGy's—the doses expected in an extraction process from highly active solutions—the system seems to be quite stable.     

Component analysis of the commercial metal extractant, Cyanex 302, by GC-MS.

The composition of the commercial reagent Cyanex 302 was investigated by GC-MS. Mass spectrometric studies allowed us to confirm that bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)monothiophosphinic acid is the major compound and that a considerable amount of tris(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphine oxide is also present. The study also revealed that the extractant has three minor components. These were identified as bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid, bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphine oxide and bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)dithiophosphinic acid. The mass spectra of these compounds are discussed and some fragmentation processes are postulated.     

Microfluidic production of biopolymer microcapsules with controlled morphology

We report a microfluidic approach to generating capsules of biopolymer hydrogels. Droplets of an aqueous solution of a biopolymer were emulsified in an organic phase comprising a cross-linking agent. Polymer gelation was achieved in situ (on a microfluidic chip) by diffusion-controlled ionic cross-linking of the biopolymer, following the transfer of the cross-linking agent from the continuous phase to the droplets. Gelation was quenched by collecting particles in a large pool of cross-linking agent-free liquid. The structure of microgels (from capsules to gradient microgels to particles with a uniform structure) was controlled by varying the time of residence of droplets on the microfluidic chip and the concentration of the cross-linking agent in the continuous phase. We demonstrated the encapsulation of a controlled number of polystyrene beads in the microgel capsules. The described approach was applied to the preparation of capsules of several polysaccharides such as alginate, kappa-carrageenan, and carboxymethylcellulose.     

Effect of gamma-radiation on the extraction of europium and americium by benzyldimethyldodecylammonium nitrate

Previously it was found that in the extraction separation on lanthanides and americium from acidic nitrate solutions of nuclear fission products, benzyldimethyldodecylammonium nitrate gives high values of separation coefficients. The change in the extraction capacity of this agent and its solutions in benzene in the extraction of Eu(III) and Am(III) was investigated as a function of the adsorbed dose of ionizing radiation. The slight reduction in the extraction of both metals is caused mainly by the radiolysis products of nitric acid in the organic phase that enter into secondary reactions with both the solvent and the extractant. Comparison of the radiation stability of benzyldimethyldodecylammonium nitrate systems with tertiary amines show that the changes in distribution coefficients in the range of investigated absorbed doses are significantly lower in the former case. The investigated system may be characterized as radiation stable up to about 100 kGy even in the presence of nitric acid.     

Extraction of rare earth metals from nitrate solutions with a binary extractant based on Cyanex 272

Mechanisms for the extraction of rare earth metals with a binary extracting agent based on bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid with the formation of various complexes in the organic phase were proposed. The compositions of the extracted compounds were determined, and the distribution of these compounds was adequately described by calculated curves.     

Carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide derivatives of adamantane as extracting agents of americium and europium

Adamantane di-1,3-carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide derivatives were synthesized. Their efficiency in extraction of americium(III) and europium(III) from nitric acid solutions was shown. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 110–115, January, 2007.