Method for separating trivalent americium from trivalent curium
AssigneeForschungszentrum Julich GmbH
InventorsGiuseppe Modolo, Reinhard Odoj
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is disclosed for separating trivalent americium from trivalent curium, coming from an aqueous solution containing at least these cations, wherein, at an acid concentration of 0.01 mol/l-0.3 mogl/l, the aqueous solution is brought into contact with an organic solvent containing a bis(aryl)dithiophosphinic acid having the formula (4) where R1=phenyl or naphthyl R2=phenyl or naphthyl, and radicals of R1 and R2 substituted by at least one methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl-, cyano, nitro, or halo substituent, and containing a synergist having the formula (5) where X and/or Y and/or Z is R or RO, wherein R is branched or unbranched alkyl.
Claims9
A method of separating trivalent Americium from trivalent Curium contained in an acidic aqueous solution having at least these cations, and individually recovering the trivalent Americium and the trivalent Curium, which comprises the steps of:
- (a) contacting the acidic aqueous solution with an acid concentration of 0.01 moles per liter to 1.0 mole per liter with an organic solvent containing a bis(aryl)dithiophosphinic acid of the Formula (4)
- wherein
- R1 and R2 are each phenyl or naphthyl, unsubstituted or substituted by at least one methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, cyano, nitro, halo, substituent and with a synergist of the formula (5)
- wherein
- X, Y and Z are each R or RO, where R is a branched or unbranched alkyl, to selectively extract from the acidic aqueous solution, the trivalent Americium and the trivalent Curium, leaving behind as a raffinate, the acidic aqueous solution;
- (b) selectively stripping the trivalent Curium from the organic solvent containing the trivalent Americium and the trivalent Curium with 0.3 molar nitric acid leaving behind the organic solvent containing the trivalent Americium;
- and
- (c) stripping the trivalent Americium from the organic solvent with 1.0 molar nitric acid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.