Separation of strontium from nuclear waste solutions by solvent extraction with crown ethers

The possibilities of strontium separation from medium activity waste (MAW) solutions have been investigated. MAW originates from the PUREX process and contains NaNO₃ and HNO₃ in a large excess. By solvent extraction with the crown ether dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 (DC-18-C-6) in 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, separation is possible. The distribution ratio for Sr²⁺ depends on the concentration of HNO₃, NaNO₃ and Pb(NO₃)₂. The extraction system is employed in a continuous counter-current process. After use, the extraction agent can easily be regenerated by reextraction with pure water.