Selective extraction of trivalent actinides from lanthanides using dicyclohexyldithiophosphinic acid and tributylphosphate
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
In a previous study we showed that the three dithiophosphinic acids: dicyclohexyldithio-phosphinic acid (HDCHDTP), diphenyldithiophosphinic acid (HDPhDTP), and bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)-dithiophosphinic acid (Cyanex{trademark} 301) in combination with the synergist tributylphosphate (TBP) could selectively extract trivalent actinides (represented by {sup 241}Am) from lanthanides (represented by {sup 152}Eu). This study was based on the premise that actinides form more stable complexes with ligands containing soft donor atoms than lanthanides due to a slightly greater covalent bonding component for the actinide ions. However, due to the difference in the radii of Am(III) (1.07 {Angstrom}) and Eu(III) (0.95 {Angstrom}), it was necessary to extend the study to include a wider variety of lanthanides to show that the ion radius size was not an important factor in these extractions. In this study the most promising of the three dithiophosphinic acids, HDCHDTP, was used along with the synergist TBP to selectively extract {sup 241}Am-from {sup 152}Eu, {sup 141}Ce, and {sup 88}Y (acting as a pseudolanthanide). Large separation factors (up to 540 to 980 depending on the Ln) between the extraction of the actinides over the lanthanides were still observed proving that ionic radius was not the important factor in these extractions.
- OSTI ID:
- 126622
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950402--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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