Alternate extractants to tributyl phosphate for reactor fuel reprocessing

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:5572436

Crouse, D J; Arnold, W D; Hurst, F J

Both tri(n-hexyl) phosphate (THP) and tri(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP) have some important potential process advantages over TBP for reactor fuel reprocessing. These include negligible aqueous phase solubility and less tendency toward third phase and crud formation. The alkyl chain branching of TEHP makes it much more stable to chemical degradation than TBP and probably also accounts for its much weaker ruthenium extraction. The higher uranium and plutonium extraction power of THP and TEHP allows higher solvent loadings in extraction but makes them somewhat more difficult to strip. The phase separation properties of 1.09 M solutions of THP and TEHP are inferior to those of 1.09 M TBP (30 vol %) but are favorable at lower concentrations. Use of more dilute THP and TEHP solutions is recommended for this reason and to obtain a better balance of extraction power in the extraction versus stripping steps.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5572436
• Report Number(s): CONF-830808-12; ON: DE84000202
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400105 -- Separation Procedures
ACTINIDES
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CONSOLIDATED FUEL REPROCESSING PROGRAM
COORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ELEMENTS
ESTERS
EXTRACTION
ISOTHERM
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SOLVENTS
PHOSPHORIC ACID ESTERS
PLATINUM METALS
PLUTONIUM
PUREX PROCESS
REPROCESSING
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RUTHENIUM
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SOLVENTS
STABILITY
T2EHP
TBP
TESTING
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
URANIUM