Extraction of U(VI), Pu(IV), Am(III) and some fission products by 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester immobilized polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels

Cross-linked hydrogel matrices immobilized with 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (HA), were prepared to investigate their application in the recovery of radionuclide from acidic waste solutions. Gamma-radiation was used to produce HA immobilized polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels (HA-gel). The hydrogels with different characteristics such as: degree of cross-linking (by varying radiation dose) and quantity of extractant immobilized (by starting with aqueous PVA solution containing different amounts of HA), were synthesised. These HA-gels were investigated for solid-liquid phase extraction of U(VI), Pu(IV), Am(III) and some fission products, under various experimental conditions. The concentration of HNO₃ in the aqueous phase was found to play an important role in the extraction of these radionuclei. Extraction of U(VI) was more favourable at lower concentration of HNO₃ (∼0.001 to 0.5M), while at higher concentrations (∼0.5 to 3M HNO₃), more than 90% of Pu(IV) present in the aqueous phase, could be extracted by the HA-gel. The extraction of Am(III) was also found predominant only at lower acidities (at pH∼2 and above). Under optimized conditions, maximum metal loading capacities obtained were 19±0.8 mg, 8±0.4 mg and 11±0.5 mg per gram of swollen HA-gel, for U(VI), Pu(IV) and Am(III), respectively. Under the experimental conditions, extractions of Cs(I) and Sr(II) were observed to be negligible. No leaching out of HA from the HA-gel particles was noted even after its repetitive use for the studied ten cycles of extraction and stripping experiments, as evident from its unchanged extraction efficiency.