Separation of actinide(III) from lanthanide(III) by thermo-sensitive gel co-polymerized with TPPEN derivatives
- Chemical Resources Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan)
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaragi, 319-1195 (Japan)
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8502 (Japan)
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, 657-8501 (Japan)
Extraction separation of Am(III) and Eu(III) was examined by the thermal-swing extraction technique using a thermo-sensitive gel, poly-N-isopropyl-acrylamide (NIPA) co-polymerized with a TPEN derivative, N,N,N',N'- tetrakis(4-propenyl-oxy-2-pyridyl-methyl)ethylenediamine (TPPEN). The separation of Am(III) from Eu(III) was observed in the swollen state of gel (5 deg. C) and the separation factor of Am(III) was evaluated as about 18 at pH 5.2. More than 90% of Am(III) extracted into the gel was released by the volume phase transition of gel from the swollen state (5 deg. C) to the shrunken one (40 deg. C). The repetition test for the thermal swing extraction of a soft metal ion, Cd(II), which was used as a substitute of Am(III), was carried out and the extraction and release of Cd(II) were repeated three times stably under the thermal-swing operation between 5 deg. C and 40 deg. C. The radiation effect of gel on the extraction of Am and Eu was tested by the irradiation of {gamma}-ray (10 kGy) and the long-term adsorption of {alpha}-emitter ({sup 244}Cm). The TPPEN-NIPA gel sustained no damage by these radiation tests. These results suggest that the thermal-swing extraction technique is applicable to the MA partitioning process indispensable for the establishment of P and T technology. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 20979528
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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