Studies of fundamental properties of rutherfordium (element 104) using organic complexing agents

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:7101804

Czerwinski, K R

Chemical properties of rutherfordium (Rf) have been investigated with the organic ligands triisooctylamine (TIOA), tributylphosphate (TBP), and thenoyltrigluoroacetone (TTA). The TIOA studies showed that Rf behaves differently from Th and Eu and most similarly to Zr; only Zr and Rf extract from 12 M HCl. This result is further evidence that Rf is a Group 4 element. Studies with TBP showed that Rf chemical behavior differed from the other Group 4 elements. The extraction by TBP at different chloride concentrations showed that Rf at times behaves more like Pu[sup 4+] than Zr or Hf. At high chloride concentrations, Rf and Pu extraction decreased. Under the same conditions, Zr, Hf and Th extraction increased. In addition, Rf extraction by TBP was affected by hydrogen ion concentration, while Zr and Hf extraction was not. TTA extractions were used to determine the K[sub eq], K[sub hyd], and the ionic radius of Rf. The log K[sub eq] for Rf with TTA was calculated to be 3.18 [plus minus] 0.90. The first four log K[sub hyd]'s for Rf are calculated to be -2.6 [plus minus] 0.7, -5.9 [plus minus] 1.7, -10.2 [plus minus] 2.9, and -14.5 [plus minus] 4.1. These hydrolysis constants indicate that Rf will not hydrolyze at conditions under which Zr, Hf, and Pu will. Calculations of the ionic radius were made with the log K[sub eq] for Rf derived with TTA. The ionic radius of Rf was calculated to be 9.1 [plus minus] 0.4 nm for the 6-coordinate species and 10.2 [plus minus] 0.4 nm for the 8-coordinate species. A search for the isotope [sup 263]Rf was conducted using TTA chemistry. In 300 experiments, seven SF events and no alpha events were observed in the Rf chemical fraction. The observed SF events were attributed to [sup 263]Rf and had a half-life of 500 [plus minus][sup 300[sub 200]] seconds and a production cross section of 140 [plus minus] 50 pb.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 7101804
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400702* -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry-- Properties of Radioactive Materials
ACTINIDES
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENT 104
ELEMENTS
HAFNIUM
METALS
PLUTONIUM
THORIUM
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
ZIRCONIUM