Advancing the scientific basis of trivalent actinide-lanthanide separations

Conference · Mon Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2013

OSTI ID:22264127

Nash, K. L. ^[1]

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1. Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, PO Box 644630, Pullman, WA 99164-4630 (United States)

For advanced fuel cycles designed to support transmutation of transplutonium actinides, several options have been demonstrated for process-scale aqueous separations for U, Np, Pu management and for partitioning of trivalent actinides and fission product lanthanides away from other fission products. The more difficult mutual separation of Am/Cm from La-Tb remains the subject of considerable fundamental and applied research. The chemical separations literature teaches that the most productive alternatives to pursue are those based on ligand donor atoms less electronegative than O, specifically N- and S-containing complexants and chloride ion (Cl{sup -}). These 'soft-donor' atoms have exhibited usable selectivity in their bonding interactions with trivalent actinides relative to lanthanides. In this report, selected features of soft donor reagent design, characterization and application development will be discussed. The roles of thiocyanate, aminopoly-carboxylic acids and lactate in separation processes are detailed. (authors)

• Research Organization: American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
• OSTI ID: 22264127
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDES
BONDING
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHLORINE IONS
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL CYCLE
LACTATES
LIGANDS
NUCLEAR FUELS
RARE EARTHS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
THIOCYANATES