Synthesis of two novel macroporous silica-based impregnated polymeric composites and their application in highly active liquid waste partitioning by extraction chromatography

Two kinds of novel macroporous silica-based chelating polymeric adsorption materials, TODGA/SiO2-P and CMPO/SiO2-P, were synthesized by impregnating and immobilizing two chelating agents, N,N,N',N'-tetraoctyl-3-oxapentane-1,5-diamide (TODGA) and octyl(phenyl)-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylmethylphoshine oxide (CMPO), into the pores of SiO2-P particles. To separate minor actinides (MA(III)) such as Am(III) and Cm(III), the adsorption and elution of 13 typically simulated fission products from a 3 M HNO3 were performed. It was found that in the first column packed with TODGA/SiO2-P, all of the simulated elements were separated effectively into four groups: (1) Cs(I), Mo(VI), and the most portion of Ru(III) (non-adsorption group), (2) Sr(II), small portion of Gd(III) and all of light REs(III) (MA-lRE-Sr group), (3) most of Gd(III) and all heavy RE(III) (hRE group), and (4) Zr(IV), Pd(II), and a little of Ru(III) (Zr-Pd group) by eluting with 3.0 M HNO3, 1.0M HNO3, distilled water, and 0.5 M H2C2O4, respectively, at 298 K. MA(III) was predicted to flow into the second group along with Nd(III) because of their close adsorption-elution onto TODGA/SiO2-P. In the second column packed with CMPO/SiO2-P, MA-lRE-Sr group was separated into (1) Sr(II), (2) middle RE(III) such as Gd(III), Eu(III), Sm(III), and quite small portion of Nd(III) (MA-mRE), and (3) light RE(III) such as La(III), Ce(III), and most of Nd(III) by eluting with 3.0 M HNO3 and 0.05 M DTPA-pH 2.0, respectively, at 323 K. MA(III) was believed to flow into MA-mRE group along with Gd(III) due to their similar adsorption properties towards CMPO/SiO2-P. Based on positions of MA(III) appeared in light and heavy RE(III), an improved MAREC process for MA(III) partitioning from HLW was proposed.     

SPEC Process II. Adsorption of strontium and some typical co-existent elements contained in high level liquid waste onto a macroporous silica-based crown ether impregnated functional composite

To separate Sr(II), one of the heat emitting nuclides, from high level liquid waste (HLLW), a macroporous silica-based DtBuCH18C6 polymeric composite, DtOct/SiO₂-P, was synthesized by means of molecular modification of 4,4′,(5′)-di(tert-butylcyclohexano)-18-crown-6 (DtBuC H18C6) with a long-chain 1-octanol. It was performed by impregnating and immobilizing DtBuCH18C6 and 1-octanol molecules into the pores of the SiO₂-P particles, the macroporous silica-based support. The adsorption of Sr(II) and some co-existent typical elements Na(I), K(I), Cs(I), Ru(III), Mo(VI), Pd(II), Ba(II), La(III), and Y(III) contained in highly active liquid waste (HLW) towards DtOct/SiO₂-P was investigated at 323 K. The effects of contact time and the concentration of HNO₃ in a range of 0.1–5.0M on the adsorption of the tested metals were examined. The macroporous silica-based DtOct/SiO₂-P polymeric composite showed strong adsorption ability and high selectivity for Sr(II) over all of the tested metals except Ba(II). The optimum acidity of Sr(II) adsorption onto DtOct/SiO₂-P was determined to be 2.0M HNO₃. The bleeding behavior of DtOct/SiO₂-P in aqueous phase was evaluated using total organic carbon (TOC) analysis. The content of TOC increased with increasing the HNO₃ concentration and contact time. It resulted from the decrease in the stability of the associated species, C₈H₁₇-OH• DtBuCH18C6 formed through hydrogen binding, because of high temperature.     

Impregnation synthesis of a novel macroporous silica-based TODGA polymeric composite and its application in the adsorption of rare earths in nitric acid solution containing diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid

A macroporous silica-based N,N,N′,N′-tetraoctyl-3-oxapentane-1,5-diamide (TODGA) polymeric composite (TODGA/SiO₂-P) was synthesized. It was done through impregnation and immobilization of TODGA molecule into the pores of the SiO₂-P particles utilizing a vacuum sucking technique. The macroporous SiO₂-P particles were the silica-based organic/inorganic composite synthesized by immobilizing styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer inside SiO₂ through the complicated polymerization reaction. The adsorption of rare earth (RE(III)) elements onto TODGA/SiO₂-P was investigated in HNO₃ solution containing diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), an acidic multi-dentate chelating agent. It was found that in the presence of 0.05 M DTPA, and H⁺ had significant effect on the TODGA/SiO₂-P adsorption due to the competition reactions of RE(III) with different species, H₄DTPA⁻ and H₂DTPA³⁻. With an increase in the concentration of from 0.115 M to 3.015 M, the adsorption of RE(III) onto TODGA/SiO₂-P increased noticeably. On the other hand, RE(III) showed strong adsorption at 0.1 M H⁺, weak adsorption at around pH 2, and no adsorption in excess of pH 2.3. In a 0.1 M H⁺-0.115 M -0.05 M DTPA solution, a change of the distribution coefficient of RE(III) onto TODGA/SiO₂-P with an increase in atomic number of RE(III) from La(III) to Lu(III) was investigated. The silica-based TODGA/SiO₂-P polymeric composite showed strong adsorption for heavy RE(III) over the light one. In a 0.01 M H⁺-1.0 M -0.05 M DTPA solution, the effect of the ratio of solid phase to liquid one on the relationship of the distribution coefficient of RE(III) with the change in atomic number of RE(III) was also studied. Based on the complicated disassociation equilibrium of DTPA, the influence of the concentrations of and H⁺ on the adsorption of TODGA/SiO₂-P for RE(III) was demonstrated. This makes the partitioning of RE(III) and MA(III) together from high level liquid waste (HLLW) by the polymeric composite TODGA/SiO₂-P promising.     

Synthesis and application of a macroporous silica-based polymeric octyl(phenyl)-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylmethylphoshine oxide composite for the chromatographic separation of high level liquid waste

Summary The Minor Actinides Recovery from HLW by Extraction Chromatography (MAREC) process was used mainly for the separation of minor actinides (MAs) and some specific fission products (FPs) from highly active liquid waste (HLW) by the composite CMPO/SiO₂-P of the macroporous silica based polymeric octyl(phenyl)-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylmethylphoshine oxide (CMPO) and others. In this study a cascade of chromatographic separation was performed on a 3.0M HNO₃ solution containing 5.0 ^. 10^-3M of 13 elements, at 323 K. The cascade consisted of three columns the first and second ones were packed with CMPO/SiO₂-P and the third with SiO₂-P particles. The first column was employed to prepare various eluents containing saturated CMPO. The second column was used for separation into groups. The CMPO of CMPO/SiO₂-P was recovered from the effluent by the third column and a CMPO-free effluent containing minor actinides was obtained. The elements contained in the simulated HLW of 3.0M HNO₃ were separated into (1) a non-adsorption group (Sr, Cs, and Ru etc.), (2) a MA-hRE (heavy rare earth)-Mo-Zr group, and (3) a lRE (light rare earth) group by eluting with 3.0M HNO₃, 0.05M DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) (pH 2.0) and HNO₃ (pH 3.5), respectively. The resultant MA-hRE-Mo-Zr mixture containing minor actinides was then separated into the groups (1) Pd-Ru, (2) MA-hRE, and (3) Mo-Zr by utilizing 3.0M HNO₃, distilled water, and 0.05M DTPA (pH 2.0) as eluents. More than 92% of CMPO in the MA-hRE containing effluent was adsorbed by SiO₂-P particles. The effectivity and technical feasibility of MAREC process were demonstrated.     

Preparation of a novel macroporous silica-based 2,6-bis(5,6-diisobutyl-1,2,4-triazine-3-yl)pyridine impregnated polymeric composite and its application in the adsorption for trivalent rare earths

A novel macroporous silica-based 2,6-bis(5,6-diisobutyl-1,2,4-triazine-3-yl)pyridine (iso-Bu-BTP), a neutral chelating agent having several softatom nitrogen, polymeric composite (iso-Bu-BTP/SiO₂-P) was synthesized. It was done through impregnation and immobilization of iso-Bu-BTP molecule into the pores of SiO₂-P particles with 40–60 μm of bead diameter and 0.6 μm of mean pore size. The effective impregnation resulted from the intermolecular interaction of iso-Bu-BTP and co-polymer inside the SiO₂-P particles by a vacuum sucking technique. To understand the possibility of applying iso-Bu-BTP in the MAREC process developed, the adsorption behavior of a few representative rare earths (REs) such as Ce(III), Nd(III), Gd(III), Dy(III), Er(III), Yb(III), and Y(III) towards iso-Bu-BTP/SiO₂-P was investigated at 298 K. The influence of the HNO₃ concentration in a wide range of pH 5.52–3.0M and a few chelating agents such as formic acid, citric acid, and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) on the adsorption of RE(III) was examined. It was found that in the presence of chelating agent, the adsorption ability of the tested RE(III) towards iso-Bu-BTP/SiO₂-P decreased due to two competition reactions of RE(III) with iso-Bu-BTP/SiO₂-P and chelating agents. In a 0.01M HNO₃ solution containing 1M formic acid or 1M citric acid, light RE(III) showed lower adsorption towards iso-Bu-BTP/SiO₂-P than that of the heavy one. This makes the separation of light RE(III) from the heavy one possible. Based on the similarity of minor actinides and heavy RE(III) in chemical properties and the results of column separation experiments, chromatographic partitioning of light RE(III) from a simulated high level liquid waste solution composed of the heavy RE(III) and minor actinides in MAREC process is promising.